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Obama’s speech stirs conversation

With more than 600 undocumented, or AB-540, students enrolled, Cal State University Long Beach is divided in opinion regarding President Obama’s recent immigration speech.

Obama’s immigration speech on Thursday announced an executive order allowing millions unauthorized immigrants to stay in the United States without granting citizenship.

AB-540 students, or “Dreamers,” are those who were born in other countries, yet have lived in the U.S. for most of their lives, said Edgar Romo, the Dreamers Student Success Coordinator. AB-540, or the Federal Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, if passed, would provide these students with the ability to legalize their immigration status, Romo said.

“As an organization, we want this order that President Obama did to be effective as soon as possible,” Munoz said on behalf of the CSULB La Raza Student Association. “That way these resources are available as soon as possible.”

La Raza is a club dedicated to meeting the social, cultural, political and academic needs of students of Latino heritage on campus, according to the Beachsync website. Romo works with La Raza to help AB-540 students at CSULB by providing services and resources for their specific needs.

“The announcement of deferred action for parents provides for many of our students and their families a feeling of relief and security knowing that there are large numbers of individuals who will now be able to live without fear of deportation and being separated from your family,” Romo said. “Here in California, we have one of the largest groups of individuals who will benefit from this new deferred action program.”

La Raza said it sees the executive order as a positive step in the right direction.

“It’s a step forward,” Miranda Ceja, a sophomore journalism student and a La Raza representative. “It’s definitely not a loss, but it’s a gray victory,” meaning it is not a clear-cut win for immigrants, she said.

The Long Beach State College Republicans party president and political science junior, Nestor Moto said LBSCR believes the speech was eloquent, yet lacking in substance.

“The president’s speech was a good and articulate speech as it should be,” Moto said. “However, it was filled with no specific timetable on when he would enact this. He did not mention many strategies to secure our border.”

President Obama’s speech on Thursday outlined a three-part plan: building progress at the border with more resources from law enforcement; making it easier for high-skilled immigrants, graduates and entrepreneurs to stay in America; and focusing on deporting criminals, rather than breaking up families, according to the transcript posted on the Washington Post website.

La Raza treasurer and social science credential student Humberto Munoz said President Obama’s plan puts immigrant families in a state of “limbo.”

“I’m glad it will protect families, but am also conflicted because it doesn’t provide… healthcare services or food stamps,” Munoz said. “It’s basically a work permit [immigrants] have to renew every three years.”

Munoz said that because recent movement in immigration laws are not yet finalized or stable, La Raza is unable to make any specific movement to support the community. He said the club is there to provide AB-540 students with information on resources available for them.

Moto said LBSCR believes America’s boarders and the verification of immigrant status need to be addressed.

“AB-540 students are already part of our educational system,” Moto said. “There is nothing we can do to change that. Therefore, we have nothing against them.”

Moto said LBSCR thinks President Obama should not act alone on an issue this diverse.

“Our current immigration laws need to be enforced and reformed,” Moto said. “The president should work together with Congress to address the needs of the American people.”

Moto said LBSCR thinks Obama’s speech animates people to support him without necessarily knowing where they stand on many issues other than immigration.

“We believe people should research the strategies [Obama] presented, his party, and where they stand in order to find the ideal candidate [or] party they support,” Moto said. “They should not overlook all the other issues that should be part of their evaluation.”

Ceja said on behalf of La Raza that it is frustrating that any step forward in immigration is seen as unlawful. She said there is still a lot of work to be done.

“[Obama] said there are roughly 11 million [unauthorized immigrants], and it will only protect 5 million, Munoz said. “Anyone that does not fit in the category will not get protection.”

Last June, the Senate passed a broad-based proposal for reforming the U.S. immigration system called the S.744 immigration bill, 68 to 32, according to the Immigration Policy Center. The bill has yet to move through the House of Representatives. Obama said in his speech that this is why he is creating the executive order.

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