Long Beach citizens marching to Cesar Chavez Park. Photo courtesy of LBIRC.
Last night, Long Beach citizens marched to and gathered at Cesar Chavez Park to watch President Barack Obama issue—through the power of the Oval Office—what is arguably the most progressive approach taken thus far toward reshaping the nation’s immigration system, announcing a program under which unauthorized immigrants who are parents of US citizens are now eligible for legal status.
Obama’s words, telling undocumented immigrants that it is now safe to “come out of the shadows,” were met with cheers.
“Are we a nation that tolerates the hypocrisy of a system where workers who pick our fruit and make our beds never have a chance to get right with the law?” he asked while also pointing out that “every Republican president” before him has taken the same action when it has come to exerting the power of his office.
While the president’s speech and Executive Action gave many hope, it is still not quite the full reform some are seeking.
“We salute the tireless activists, especially the courageous members of the immigrant youth movement, who have pushed so hard for immigration reform, and we commend President Obama for taking the initiative to move us forward,” said Alicia Morales of the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition. “We know, however, that this Executive Action is just one more step towards true immigration reform. We need to extend temporary protections to the rest of the 11 million undocumented Americans in the US and turn temporary protections into a permanent avenue to full citizenship for all of those who contribute to this country through their work and have put down roots in our communities.”
The move by Obama has also stirred up hope amongst Dreamers, undocumented college students who have lived the majority of their life in the US, many of whom are at the forefront of seeking total immigration reform. Among them is Cal State Long Beach student Jaime Jorge, who is about to graduate in December—and like the LBIRC representatives, he says Obama’s Executive Action is a good start.
“I think what he’s doing right now, it’s a big thing,” Jorge said. “It’s really important because there are people who will be able to benefit from it. The downfall is that there are still millions of people who will not benefit from it. While I do think it’s a step closer to having the immigration reform.”
Even more, Jorge questions the waiting period that Obama took part in before waiting to use his power, insinuating that conciliation should have never been the way to approach such a hot-button topic.
“I just don’t know why he did it at the end,” Jorge said. “His term is going to be over in a couple years, so I don’t know why it took so long to react. He’s definitely going to go through with it, there’s no doubt, but I feel like Congress is going to try and do something to stop it or shut down the government. Hopefully not but I’m just worried what’s gonna happen with Congress.”
Jorge’s worries concerning Congress are not baseless, given the Republicans took control thanks to the midseason election. However, Obama was succinct in this regard.
“To those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill.”