National League of Cities (NLC) releases the following statement from Clarence Anthony, NLC’s executive director on President Obama’s plan to send increased resources to the U.S. – Mexican border in response to the increased numbers of immigrants:
“We welcome President Obama’s announcement today that he would be sending additional resources to the U.S. – Mexican border to help local officials deal with the recent surge in immigrants coming into the country. This move should provide some temporary relief to our nation’s cities and towns that are grappling with the significant numbers of people that are coming into the country.
“But we remain concerned that the only action on comprehensive immigration reform will be dueling press releases delivering message points, rather than developing policy.
“The recent activity on the border only demonstrates the absolute necessity that Congress passes comprehensive immigration reform. Local governments see how the disjointed immigration system tears families apart, holds back economic growth and causes local communities to spend considerable resources for what is a federal government policy failure. Local governments are caught in the middle with no regulatory authority and few resources, but must find ways to integrate immigrants into the community.
“It is clearly time to pass a bill. We call on Congress to work with the Administration and find common ground for what is an obvious problem that requires immediate solutions. The nation’s cities and towns cannot wait any longer.”
The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.
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