Dear friends --
Our immigration system is broken. It has been for some time.
Right now, there are 11 million people living in a shadow economy. There are Americans waiting in long lines to reunite with their families. There are employers who are exploiting the system by hiring undocumented workers, and that threatens the wages and working conditions of American workers. None of this is good for the economy, and it isn’t fair for the middle class.
So President Obama is determined to fix this broken system so that everyone plays by the same rules, and we wanted to make sure you get the details. Here's what he wants to do:
-- First, continue to improve the security on our borders;
-- Second, crack down on the companies that hire undocumented workers;
-- Third, provide undocumented immigrants the chance to earn their citizenship and hold them accountable by requiring that they learn English, pay taxes and a penalty, move to the back of the line, and pass background checks; and
-- Fourth, streamline the legal immigration system for families, workers, and businesses.
The good news is that lawmakers from both parties agree with that basic set of principles, and a bipartisan group of Senators is already working on a bill that's consistent with President Obama's proposal. That's big.
But the surest way to keep up the momentum is for people like you to show that you agree as well. We've put together a page where you can get the latest information -- read more details about the President's plan, watch video of his new speech about the need to fix our broken immigration system, and add your name to show that you stand with President Obama.
Check it out here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/immigration
If you've talked about this issue with others in your community, I hope you'll share this important information with them, too.
Thanks,
Cecilia
Cecilia Muñoz
Director, Domestic Policy Council
The White House