ASIAN AMERICAN CENTER FOR ADVANCING JUSTICE
CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT OBAMA ON HIS VICTORY;
URGES BALANCED IMMIGRATION SOLUTIONS IN SECOND TERM
SAN FRANCISCO - The Asian American Center for Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice)-the Asian American Institute (AAI), the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), the Asian Law Caucus (ALC), and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC)-issued the following statement:
"We congratulate President Barack Obama on his historic victory and we look forward to working with his Administration in promoting a fair and equitable society for all.
We urge President Obama to use his second term to prioritize our broken immigration system and pursue fair and humane immigration legislation. Asian American and other immigrant families have been separated for years from their loved ones. Businesses have not been able to attract and retain the talented workers they need to grow our economy. And undocumented immigrants live in the shadows while working hard and contributing to our society and economy. Meanwhile record deportation numbers and the expansion of the flawed Secure Communities program have undermined public safety and torn apart families.
We need balanced and humane legislation that reduces the backlog of immigration cases, holds families together, values and protects workers and keeps American businesses competitive, restores judicial discretion and due process to immigration enforcement, and creates a roadmap to legalization for all aspiring citizens.
During President Obama's first term, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was a welcome step in addressing our broken immigration system. We urge President Obama to take his initiative one step further and expand this relief to a permanent pathway that honors the contributions of these talented people and their families to this country. We call on President Obama to use his leadership to bring Congress together for a meaningful solution to fix our broken immigration system.
Advancing Justice stands ready to work with the Administration and Congress to pass the DREAM Act and immigration reform to achieve lasting, humane, and fair solutions for the future of our nation."
