At the ceremony, flags — one for every nation represented — was marched across the stage. Each was applauded by the graduates and relatives with ties to those countries. But then, the last flag — the American flag — came into view. And the room erupted. Every person in the auditorium cheered. Yes, their parents or grandparents — or the graduates themselves — had come from every corner of the globe.
But it was here that they had found opportunity, and had a chance to contribute to the nation that is their home. It was a reminder of a simple idea, as old as America itself. E pluribus, unum. Out of many, one. The Germans and Scandinavians who settled across the Midwest. The waves of the Irish, Italian, Polish, Russian, and Jewish immigrants who leaned against the railing to catch that first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. This flow of immigrants has helped make this country stronger and more prosperous.
We can point to the genius of Einstein and the designs of I. Pei, the stories of Isaac Asimov and whole industries forged by Andrew Carnegie. Even though they were not yet citizens, these men and women had signed up to serve. I love this country already. Another was a woman named Perla Ramos. In embracing America, you can become American.
And that enriches all of us. Yet at the same time, we are standing at the border today because we also recognize that being a nation of laws goes hand in hand with being a nation of immigrants. This, too, is our heritage. This, too, is important. At times, there has been fear and resentment directed toward newcomers, particularly in periods of economic hardship.
And because these issues touch on deeply held convictions — about who we are as a people, about what it means to be an American — these debates often elicit strong emotions. Today, there are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.
Some crossed the border illegally. Others avoid immigration laws by overstaying their visas. Regardless of how they came, the overwhelming majority of these folks are just trying to earn a living and provide for their families.
And the truth is, the presence of so many illegal immigrants makes a mockery of all those who are trying to immigrate legally. This puts companies who follow those rules, and Americans who rightly demand the minimum wage or overtime or just a safe place to work, at an unfair disadvantage.
Think about it. Well, one way to strengthen the middle class is to reform our immigration system, so that there is no longer a massive underground economy that exploits a cheap source of labor while depressing wages for everyone else. I want incomes for middle class families to rise again. I want prosperity in this country to be widely shared. And reform will also help make America more competitive in the global economy.
Today, we provide students from around the world with visas to get engineering and computer science degrees at our top universities.
But our laws discourage them from using those skills to start a business or power a new industry right here in the United States. So instead of training entrepreneurs to create jobs in America, we train them to create jobs for our competition. That makes no sense. In a global marketplace, we need all the talent we can get — not just to benefit those individuals, but because their contributions will benefit all Americans.
Look at Intel and Google and Yahoo and eBay — these are great American companies that have created countless jobs and helped us lead the world in high-tech industries. In his recent meetings, the President has made clear he will continue to lead on this issue, but has asked these leaders to take a public and active role in elevating the immigration debate. To date, thirty community conversations are being organized around the country, among them:. The White House. For Immediate Release.
May Business leaders join U. Maynard added that he thought Trump "would paint it with the broadest brush he can. Why would he say something he thinks supports the Democratic Party? Trump launched his election campaign with disparaging words, seen by many as racist, about people in the United States who have come from Mexico.
Some defended the president saying he was referring only to immigrants who commit crimes and not speaking of Latinos in the United States as a whole. But then Trump went on to question the ability of a U. He responded to the influx of Central Americans seeking asylum by separating children from their parents and allowing border officials to hold them in chain-link pens.
In the past several days, many Latinos have been vocal about what they see as a through line between the president's rhetoric and the shooting in El Paso. The city has seen stark evidence of fear that exists among families because of the Trump hardline on immigration, according to several residents.
They were afraid to go to the hospital or to interact with police and border enforcement, who responded to the shooting.
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