Pres. Obama Calls for Amnesty at La Raza Conference

Pres. Obama made a renewed call for a mass amnesty on Monday while speaking at the National Council of La Raza’s annual convention. Pres. Obama told the crowd that he would continue to fight for amnesty, but he would need help since he was working with a Congress that is pro-enforcement.

“I will keep up this fight,” Pres. Obama said. “We have a system that separates families, and punishes innocent young people for their parents’ actions by denying them the chance to earn an education or contribute to our economy or serve in our military.”

Pres. Obama’s speech was partisan in nature as he tried to rally support among Hispanic voters for Democratic candidates in 2012.

“The Democrats and your president are with you. Don’t get confused about that. Remember who it is that we need to move in order to actually change the laws.”

Last year, the Democratically controlled Congress tried to pass the DREAM Act amnesty, but after passing in the House, it failed in the Senate with 6 Democrats not voting in favor of the bill.

The U-6 unemployment rate for U.S.-born, working age Hispanics was 21.9% in the first quarter of 2012. The rate for Hispanics with only a high school degree was 25.6%. For more information on U.S. Hispanic unemployment rates, see the Center for Immigration Studies.