Today’s meeting between President-Elect Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderón will reignite the close relationship between both countries that has been lost over the last 8 years. The meeting is a preview to the close working relationship that both nations will enjoy moving forward and signals the high priority of immigration reform and other cross-border issues under the new Administration. Though each President-Elect since Ronald Reagan has met with the Mexican President prior to inauguration, the importance of a close working relationship between the nations has never been greater. Below is a statement from Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
“President-elect Obama clearly understands that a close, working relationship with Mexico is a foreign policy imperative. The best way to reduce migration pressures is to bolster job creation and the economic base of Mexico while legalizing the undocumented population in the United States.”
“Today’s meeting is yet another signal that immigration reform is a priority for the incoming administration. Not only did President-Elect Obama make a campaign promise to move comprehensive reform in his first year, but immigration was one of seven issue working groups established during the transition period. Similarly, the Senate has placed immigration reform on its list of 10 legislative priorities.”
“We welcome today’s dialogue as an important first step towards strengthening both nations, fixing the broken immigration system, and re-establishing the rule of law, and we look forward to movement on comprehensive immigration reform by the fall of 2009.”
America’s Voice — Harnessing the power of American voices and American values to win common sense immigration reform.
http://www.americasvoiceonline.org/
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