Speaking at the Asian Pacific American Institute of Congressional Studies’ annual awards dinner on Wednesday, President Obama urged Asian-Americans to pressure Congress into passing another comprehensive immigration reform bill.
“We don’t simply welcome new immigrants,” Obama told attendees at the dinner. “We are born of immigrants.”
“The actions I’ve taken on my own can’t take the place of what we really need, which is Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform… You have the power to push Congress to do it.”
“We are going to move beyond today’s anti-immigrant sentiment, as well,” the president added. “We will live up to our ideals.”
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According to the Associated Press, the Asian and Pacific Islander community “is the fastest-growing minority group in the U.S.”