In an interview with Univision’s “Al Punto” that aired Sunday, First Lady Michelle Obama told interviewer Jorge Ramos that comprehensive immigration reform has been “at the top” of her husband’s agenda, but, she pressed the Latino community for help to continue to move legislation such as the DREAM Act.
“There wasn’t one single Republican that voted for the DREAM Act, not one,” she said. “So I urge the Latino community, he needs help; he’s got to have Republicans and Democrats in Congress who are going to step up.”
The DREAM Act, a bill that would grant qualified undocumented persons, who entered the country as children, an opportunity to legalize their status and eventually obtain U.S. citizenship by enrolling in college or serving in the military, was passed by the Democratic-controlled House late last year. It died in the Senate where it received no support from Republicans.
“As he said, the greatest disappointment in this last legislative year is that the DREAM Act didn’t get passed, that immigration got pushed aside,” s the First Lady continued.
Obama said her husband has been committed to achieving comprehensive immigration reform “from the minute he thought about running for this office.”
The First Lady also declared that if an immigration bill successfully made it to the President’s desk, “he is going to sign it,” but clearly reminded viewers that he cannot go at it alone.
“People have to know that the president can’t pass immigration reform without the support of Congress, and we don’t have that.”
The interview, which was conducted in English, was a rare instance in which Mrs. Obama commented on policy issues.
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