Obama Pledges Immigration Reform After Fiscal Crisis Resolved
President Barack Obama has called for substantive immigration reform by the end of this year. In an interview with Spanish-language network Univision, Obama said he hasn't given up on an immigration bill, emphasizing he'll push it after the government shutdown ends.
"Once that's done — you know, the day after — I'm going to be pushing [Congress] to say, call a vote on immigration reform," Obama told Univision.
Obama's immigration efforts are likely to remain a touchstone of division in the Republican-run House of Representatives, where members describe a proposed path to citizenship as amnesty for lawbreakers.
The Senate passed an immigration bill earlier this year, but the House has not voted.
The Alliance for Citizenship, a pro-reform coalition based in Arizona, has issued a statement saying Congress "has a lot of work to do to prove they are capable of governing."