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View Full Version : Text of Obama's first newspaper interview as president-elect (immigration)


lilbawler2001
12-16-2008, 09:26 PM
Q: During the campaign you were critical of the border fence, but I think you voted for it?
O: I voted for the fence, but argued at the time and continued to argue that it was inadequate and a fence alone, without a broader, comprehensive immigration reform, was not going to work.
And I continue to believe that we have to have much stronger border security, crack down on employers that are hiring undocumented workers, but provide a pathway to citizenship for those who have been here and, you know, have put roots down here, and often times have American children.
We need to get them out of the shadows and put them on some path to legalization.
Q: Will you support the build-out of the fence and its continued construction?
O: You know, one of the things I want to do -- and I'm very pleased with [Arizona Gov.] Janet Napolitano as the next head of the Department of Homeland Security, because nobody has more experience on these border issues than she does -- I want to discuss with her what our best options are, what our best strategy is, do an evaluation about what's working, what isn't working. And then we'll make a determination from there.



http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/12/obama-transcrip.html

Can't wait to hear him say something about the dream act specifically.

sunny_thedreamer
12-17-2008, 12:55 AM
I don't know why people are fixating in fence and raid. I mean, fence will be almost built by the time obama takes office and its a law. I don't think they will tear it down. Raid would also continue otherwise obama will get blamed for too lax on immigration and would jeopardize any immigration reform. I think people/journalist instead should ask him how he would move forward with immigration reform? What would be time table?

hrvatica13
12-17-2008, 12:17 PM
I don't know why people are fixating in fence and raid. I mean, fence will be almost built by the time obama takes office and its a law. I don't think they will tear it down. Raid would also continue otherwise obama will get blamed for too lax on immigration and would jeopardize any immigration reform. I think people/journalist instead should ask him how he would move forward with immigration reform? What would be time table?

Uhh... I don't think so. The fence has been underway for a while and is not even close to being done. There is no way they're going to almost finish it by Jan. 20th. That's in one month.

lilbawler2001
12-17-2008, 12:42 PM
Uhh... I don't think so. The fence has been underway for a while and is not even close to being done. There is no way they're going to almost finish it by Jan. 20th. That's in one month.




The U.S. government has completed 500 miles of fencing along the border with Mexico, which is just 170 miles short of its goal.
At this pace, the administration expects to have at least 600 miles complete by Jan. 20 when the Obama administration takes office, Homeland SecuritySecretary Michael Chertoff said earlier this month.
Last week, President-elect Barack Obama said he wants to evaluate what is working on the border as he considers whether to continue building the fence. But by Chertoff's estimation, there will not be much left to build.
Homeland Security officials earlier this year said the fence would not be completed by December 31, as planned. About 160 miles have been built since August, despite some groups' calls for a moratorium on construction. As of December 12, 500 miles had been completed, Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mike Friel said


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,468204,00.html:wink:

hrvatica13
12-17-2008, 01:49 PM
Eh my bad... I was thinking of the entire border... I know they had the 700 mile goal, but I thought there have been talks of extending it gradually so the entire 2000 miles will be fenced. .

CIR_DREAM2009
12-17-2008, 01:52 PM
I don't think the article mentioned the difference between a physical fence and a "virtual" fence. I think Chertoff is including both in his number.