WASHINGTON, DC -- The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) met with President Barack Obama at the White House. The sole topic of discussion at the meeting was the urgent and vital need to reform our nation's broken immigration system.



The CHC shared their plan and agenda for moving comprehensive immigration reform forward and the Members were pleased to have the support of President Barack Obama in moving forward with our plan this year.



"The President made clear to us that he is a man of his word. He clearly understands the consequences of a broken immigration system. We believe that under his leadership we can finally provide some dignity to the thousands of families that are living in the shadows and in fear," said Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, Chair of the CHC.



"Bringing our nation's 12 million undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and putting their hard work on the books will increase the tax base across the board. And with nearly 17 percent of all new small businesses owned by immigrants, this hard-working population can help lead our economy out of this recession. President Obama has committed to working with us as we continue to lead on this issue, and serve as advocates for the immigrant community."



During the meeting, President Obama reaffirmed his understanding of the difficulties immigrants are facing. He also conveyed that he is aware of the impact the immigration raids are having on families, and assured the CHC that he is pursuing ways, including administrative first steps, to ensure the enforcement policies do not result in the separation of families. All 24 Members of the CHC were present for the meeting.



"We ...