Commerce Secretary, Chicago native Penny Pritzker, penned an editorial in support of Obama’s amnesty policy, claiming that the president’s move would be a “source of economic opportunity” for the nation.
Pritzker, a Chicago socialite and heir to the Pritzker family fortune, began her piece equating the millions of legal immigrants in past decades to today’s illegals and said that without past immigrants America would not have experienced the progress and prosperity it has realized.
Saying that “the current chapter of American history is no different,” Pritzker noted that 28 percent of all new businesses are started by immigrants or the children of immigrants. But Pritzker made no distinction between the millions of illegals currently awaiting the President’s amnesty and the millions who came to the U.S. legally in years past.
Of principal concern to Pritzker was the requirement for foreign students to return to their homes instead of being allowed to stay in the US after graduation. The Commerce Secretary claimed that Obama’s policy changes would “offer these students every incentive to remain in the U.S.” after graduation.
Pritzker claimed that the President’s extremely controversial actions are “within his legal authority,” but she also urged Congress to take further action.
“The bottom line,” Pritzker wrote, “is that America needs a smart, effective immigration system that secures our borders, keeps families united, creates opportunities for our workers, and makes sure that every business has the talent it needs. Immigration reform is more than a moral imperative; it is an economic opportunity and a matter of competitiveness for our country.”
While none of Obama’s actions do anything to “secure” the borders, most agree with Pritzker’s contention that some sort of immigration reform is needed.
Many, though, feel that border security and the enforcement of our current laws is a better solution than Obama’s blanket amnesty. During his presidency, for instance, Dwight Eisenhower brought illegal immigration to a near standstill with greater enforcement of immigration laws.
Today, however, Obama’s Immigration department has deported only one percent of the 12 million illegals here and has even released over 30,000 illegals arrested for crimes such as drunk driving and sexual assault.
Another report noted that “unauthorized workers” have elbowed out of work hundreds of thousands of native-born workers keeping many American citizens on the unemployment line.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter: @warnerthuston. Email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.