President Obama is to outline his plan for immigration reform at an event in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
The White House announced Friday that Obama would be unveiling a comprehensive plan, just one week into his second term as US President.
Irish American advocates welcomed the move.”We look forward to reviewing the bill and working with our friends in Congress on both sides of the aisle to help pass it ,” said Ciaran Staunton president of the Irish lobby for Immigration Reform.
“The Irish have been unfairly shut out of America since 1965. We need to address future flow as well as our undocumented who are here,”. he said
In a statement, the White House said the president's proposal would call for legislation to create a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
On Friday Obama met with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and assured them that reform efforts would be "a top priority" in his second term.
“The President was pleased to hear from CHC members and noted that they share the same vision, including that any legislation must include a path to earned citizenship,” the White House statement said.
“The President further noted that there is no excuse for stalling or delay.”
Read mroe: Irish American lobby focused on immigration reform in Obama’s second term
House Democratic Caucus Chair Xavier Becerra said in a statement following the meeting that it was clear Obama is determined to fix “our long broken immigration system.”
“The President expressed a great sense of urgency and that comprehensive immigration reform, including an earned path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, is his top legislative priority.”
According to the Associated Press, the White House will unveil its plan separate from a bipartisan Senate working group, that is expected to outlines their proposals next week also.
The president has said that he is "very confident that we can get immigration reform done," and suggested he would debut his plan early in his second term.
"I think it should include a continuation of the strong border security measures that we’ve taken, because we have to secure our borders," Obama said at a press conference shortly after winning re-election.
"I think it should contain serious penalties for companies that are purposely hiring undocumented workers and taking advantage of them. And I do think that there should be a pathway for legal status for those who are living in this country, are not engaged in criminal activity, are here simply to work."
The news comes as a new poll this week shows the majority of Americans now back citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Read More: Should I stay or should I go? --Undocumented Irish talk about missing family life
The majority of Americans now favor undocumented immigrants being given a path to citizenship, according to the latest poll.
The Associated Press-GfK poll shows that 62 percent of Americans now support allowing undocumented immigrants to remain in the US.
The results come as Republicans continue to reconsider their stance on immigration, following the party’s low support from Latino voters in November’s election.
The poll suggests that more than six in ten Americans now favor finding a way for undocumented immigrants to remain in the US.
Read More: Bill O’Reilly backs Marco Rubio immigration reform as fair and good
The research shows the Democratic party are more trusted to handle the issue, with a 41 percent to 34 percent lead over Republicans.
A majority of GOP voters (53 percent) now favor proposed immigration reform, an increase of 22 percentage points from 2010. In comparison 72 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of Independents also support such a move.
One poll participant, Nick Nanos, 66, of Bellmore, New York, said he thinks a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented would honor the Americans’ history as a nation built by immigrants.
"We act as if our grandparents got here legally. Don't want to ask a single Indian about that," Nanos said.
"I don't think that most of us can solidly come to a point where our grandparents or great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents were here legally. What does that even mean?"
Melissa Johnson, 40, of Porter, Texas, disagreed.
"I think there were generations of people that came over here legally, and just because your parents snuck you in or snuck in while pregnant with you doesn't give you automatic citizenship," she said. "I think they should send them all back home."
The Associated Press-GfK Poll was conducted Jan. 10-14, 2013, by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. It involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,004 adults nationwide.
Do you think undocumented immigrants should be granted a pathway to citizenship? Share your thoughts below:
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Seanmor | Jan 29, 2013, 10:45 AM EST
Granting full amnesty and swift citizenship to 11 million ILLEGAL Hispanic, many of whom speak very little English and are dependent on public assistance will place an unfair burden on U.S. taxpayers and accelerate the deAmericanization of the United States. But providing permanent visas to well educated, highly skilled Irish who are eager to assimilate would help the U.S. economy and reinforce the customs, culture and traditions of this great nation, as previous generations of Irish immigrants have done.
merefalow | Jan 28, 2013, 11:38 AM EST
at a stroke,11 million new voters,for the democrats,clever.amasing how illegal can suddenly become legal.
STEVENSTAR | Jan 27, 2013, 11:03 PM EST
THERE WONT BE ANY IMMIGRATION PLAN BECAUSE ITS CHEAPER TO HAVE ALL THE ILLIGALS THERE SO THEY'LL DO ALL THE WORK FOR HALF NOTHING ... THATS WHY THE ILLIGALS ARE KEPT ILLIGAL !!!
anglo-norman | Jan 26, 2013, 07:14 PM EST
illegals OUT OUT OUT
pilib04 | Jan 26, 2013, 06:20 PM EST
Opposition to a comprehensive immigration reform bill will be risky at best. Most Americans support immigration reform. Most Americans were immigrants themselves, legal or illegal. The 2012 Presidential election sent a message that there WILL be comprehensive immigration reform. The xenophobes posting here will always be this way. No way of rescuing them from their ignorance.
anglo-norman | Jan 26, 2013, 04:23 PM EST
illegals OUT
LinLinisme | Jan 26, 2013, 01:32 PM EST
I think it's great to welcome the Irish. But there are way too many muslims and mexicans in America. I hope the Irish will be happy here. Our country is being torn apart from this stupid president. America is really not a happy country now and it's getting worse all the time.
PaulFagan | Jan 26, 2013, 01:24 PM EST
Boehner says bipartisan group 'basically' has deal on immigration Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/279445- http://thehill.com/homenews/house/279445-boehner-confidence-bipartisan-immigration-bill-will-be-approved-this-congress
Curitiba | Jan 26, 2013, 01:15 PM EST
warrenpoint00: that's up to WoundedKnee, isn't it? He is a US citizen and we are not, hence we don't actually get a say. Just because Irish people think going to New York is more glamorous than heading for Cricklewood Broadway, doesn't mean they have a right to go to America. You watch, if Obama goes to extremes and says "Any Irish person can have US citizenship, no questions asked", no-one will want to go. It's only because there's something forbidden about it that everyone wants to go. The thrill of the illicitness will be taken out of it.
warrenpoint00 | Jan 26, 2013, 01:05 PM EST
The president of the United States will probably introduce this emigration bill soon, problem is WoundedKnees an anti - emigrant nutty poster on here ,who will veto it.
michaelidaho | Jan 26, 2013, 12:33 PM EST
Seanmor, I must say that your criticism of non-English speaking illegal immigrants (i.e. Mexicans/Latinos?) and English speaking illegal immigrants (i.e. Irish) is a bit over the top. I make no distinguish between them. Most people in both groups work extremely hard under difficult circumstances. I fully support any immigration reform measure that offers a path towards citizenship, regardless of English proficiency, that is both restrictive (e.g. no criminal records) and punitive (e.g. pay a substantial fine, back taxes and identifying employers/landlords).
wjb1tex | Jan 26, 2013, 12:08 PM EST
I don't see anything in the article that addresses overstaying visas vs entering illegally. What paragraph are you talking about? It seems to be all about providing a path to citizenship for all. Overstaying a visa and entering illegal are both the same as far as I am concerned. Both illegal.
Seanmor | Jan 26, 2013, 12:03 PM EST
wjb1tex: Prior to 1965 in order to obtain a permanent visa, immigrants from Ireland and other countries needed a SPONSOR who agreed to be fully responsible for their welfare, had to be in perfect health, without a police record and in the case of mem of military age had to AGREE to sign up for Selective within 6 months. In the '60s there were 9 or 10 of us from the same parish in Ireland serving in the U.S. military. In '68 I knew an Irish immigrant who was refused a fishing permit in the NYC reservoir because of lack of citizship after serving a year as an infantry soldier in Vietnam. He and all the rest of us who HONORABLY served had to obey ALL the rules, and I still pay $50 out-of-pocket each time I visit the V.A. Hospital.
Seanmor | Jan 26, 2013, 11:48 AM EST
The 3rd paragraph of this article accurately describes how unfairlt would-be Irish immigrants have been treated since 1965. During Reagan's administration, about 3 million ILLEGAL aliens were granted amnesty for having broken U.S. immmigration laes and BORDER Security was supposed to be put inti effect - but it was't. Now 12 millions ILLEGALS, including many who speak little or no English, are going be fast-traced for U.S. citizenship. Who about the thousands who LEGALLY entered the U.S. but overstayed their visas, and never sought subsidized housing, clothing allowance, food stamps, free health care or any other benefits. Do these English speakers have to go to the end of the line because of their almost FULL compliance with U.S. law?
Searlit | Jan 26, 2013, 11:02 AM EST
I didn't realy understand about the Irish being shut out in 1965 either, until I read about it on IC. Apparently, a bill was passed by, of all people Ted Kennedy that curtailed immigration from Ireland. What a shame because the Irish have always contributed way more than they have taken from America.
kelauggie1 | Jan 26, 2013, 10:53 AM EST
Does the Irish government allow illegal immigration into your country? If no, then you should understand our opposition to doing the same thing. If yes, then we have an explanation for why your economy is in such disarray.
wjb1tex | Jan 26, 2013, 09:51 AM EST
“The Irish have been unfairly shut out of America since 1965" What exactly does that mean I wonder.