Doubts arise over Obama's push for immigration reform
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U.S. President Barack Obama is pressing for an overhaul of the nation's broken immigration system.
But it remains unknown whether his proposed reforms will come to fruition, as the issue remains an emotional one that would require a bipartisan effort in a fractured Congress.
Moreover, Congressional Democrats are expected to lose seats in the November elections, casting further doubts over the president's ability to pass a bill, some experts said.
Obama in a speech on Thursday outlined his vision for immigration reform.
While there are more boots on the ground to protect the nation's southwestern borders than at any time in U.S. history, more must be done, he said.
Echoing previous statements, he backed a path to citizenship for undocumented workers, but added that a free ride to a U.S. passport would be unfair to those who have waited for years and waded through miles of red tape to come to the United States legally.
Illegal workers "should be required to register, pay their taxes, pay a fine, and learn English. They must get right with the law before they can get in line and earn their citizenship," he said.
Current laws discourage foreign students graduating from top U.S. universities from starting businesses or powering industries in the country, which amounts to the United States training overseas competition, he said.
Children of illegal workers should not be punished for their parents' actions, he said.
But some experts said no further major legislation will be enacted until Obama addresses the nation's high unemployment numbers.
"If he doesn't deal with the jobs question, we are not going to have an energy bill and we're not going to have an environmental bill and we're not going to have an immigration bill," said Professor Curtis Gans of American University.
And with unemployment expected to remain high for a number of years, that makes Obama's push for immigration reform all the more difficult.
There are nearly 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States. While one side says undocumented workers help the economy and perform jobs many Americans do not want, others contend that illegal immigration is out of control and say reform should emphasize border security.
