Washington, March 22: Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Washington on Sunday, asking for a reform of what US President Barack Obama described as a “broken immigration system” in the country.
The rally, which was held in the shadow of the healthcare bill, was staged to pressure President Obama to work on legislation to overhaul the immigration system once the healthcare debate is behind him.
The crowd waved hundreds of signs calling for “reform, not raids” on illegal workers, and demanding “justice and dignity for all.”
Speaking in a videotaped message presented on screens at the rally, President Obama said “I have always pledged to be your partner as we work to fix our broken immigration system, and that’s a commitment that I reaffirm today.”
“Immigration reform is critical to our security and our prosperity,” he added.
The reform plan would offer an estimated 11 million illegal workers a path to US citizenship on the grounds that they admit to having broken the law.
The illegal immigrants would also be required to pay fines and taxes, perform community service, pass a background check and learn English.
President Obama made a pledge to overhaul immigration laws during his campaign for presidency. However, the US president is yet to fulfill his promise with immigration supporters warning him to deliver this year, or face the consequences in November congressional elections.
——-Agencies