Mexican advocates doubt whether Obama’s immigration reform pledge is genuine

Catholic advocates who are working with illegal Mexican immigrants in the US doubted if President Barack Obama was really serious about his August 10th promise for reform in immigration policies of the US.

After the August 9-10 meeting of Obama with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, advocates requested the US President to spend a part of his political capital on issues related to immigration, with the same enthusiasm and commitment with which he is dealing with economic and health care reform.

Obama said at the conclusion of the summit that immigration reform is still a priority for his administration and expressed his idea of a draft bill introduction by the end of this year. He however said that he has a lot on ‘his plate’ at this moment and that immigration reform would only be addressed after the end of the health care debate.

Director of the Saltillo Diocese’s migrant shelter in northern Mexico, Father Pedro Pantoia, said while reacting to Obama’s statement that it’s just a promise for Obama and not a project. The priest however admitted that the economic conditions of the country are not favorable for an immigration reform.

Coordinator of advocacy group Movimiento Migrante Mesoamericano, Marta Sanchez, said that it is clear that conditions are tough, but Obama is definitely not open to spending his political capital on the issue of immigration, and that the promise has been made earlier as well without any success.