Obama Chides GOP on Immigration: 'They'll Want a Moat'

President pushes comprehensive reform
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 10, 2011 4:09 PM CDT
President Obama Speaks on Immigration, Urges GOP to Pass Reform
President Obama greets audience members after he spoke about immigration reform at Chamizal National Memorial Park in El Paso, Texas.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Obama stood near the border with Mexico today and declared it more secure than ever, trying to build pressure on Republicans to take on a comprehensive immigration overhaul—and working to show Hispanic voters that he is not the one standing in the way. Countering Republican calls to focus on border security before moving to a comprehensive overhaul, Obama said their demands have been more than met by his administration, but "they'll never be satisfied."

On his first trip to the US-Mexico border since becoming president, Obama boasted of increasing border patrol agents, nearing completion of a border fence, and screening more cargo. "Maybe they'll need a moat," said Obama, who called reform an economic imperative. "Maybe they'll want alligators in the moat." The GOP's Eric Cantor: "The president's off talking about comprehensive reform. We've been down that road before. I believe, in turn, we should do things that actually produce some progress and results." Click to read the full text of Obama's speech. (More President Obama stories.)

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