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Local politicos respond to Obama's plan for immigration reform

Quite a frank assessment of the current immigration situation from Rep. Solomon Ortiz.

Quote:

U.S. Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, said if immigration reform is not dealt with by October or November, it will not be passed. Congressional leaders up for re-election in 2010 will be working on their election campaigns and will not want to tackle the issue, he said.

"Nobody wants to do that right in the middle of an election," Ortiz said Friday in a telephone interview from Washington, D.C. "If they (congressional members) bring it up that's with the intentions for it to fail because it's too close to the elections."

In a speech Friday, Obama said the millions of people who are now in the U.S. illegally should have the chance to become citizens. The president said they should pay fines and taxes, learn English and "go to the back to the line" of people trying to enter the United States from their home countries.

Obama spoke at the Esperanza National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast and Conference on Friday in Washington, D.C., where he said he is committed to a comprehensive immigration overhaul, which includes a way for illegal immigrants to become U.S. citizens.

He also said employers should not be allowed to exploit illegal immigrants to drive down wages.

Although Obama's immigration overhaul is similar to the one proposed by former President George W. Bush, Ortiz said the difference now is that the House, Senate and the presidency is run by the Democratic Party. Having a Democratic administration could assist in the passage of a bill addressing immigration overhaul, should it reach that point.

"The Hispanic community has been waiting for a long, long time to see if somehow they can reunite their families," Ortiz said. What is being proposed is not an "amnesty plan," he stressed......

........"It's (immigration overhaul) got to be done this year and I hope it's done this year," Ortiz said.