President Obama urged people concerned about illegal immigration to remember immigrants coming to Ellis Island didn’t always have their paperwork in line and that immigration to the U.S. has always been complicated.
“It’s not like everybody at Ellis Island had all their paperwork straight,” Obama said Monday during his appearance at the University of Chicago.
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“The truth is the history of our immigration system has always been a little bit haphazard, a little bit loose, a little bit determined by, did the country want more workers, economic imperatives,” he said.
Obama said it’s important to remember most illegal immigrants are just people who are trying to improve their lives and the lives of their children.
He urged illegal immigration hawks to remember there are real people who are trying to improve their lives behind the issue.
“For those who are concerned about undocumented workers coming in, whether it’s across the border or more typically these days overstaying visas, it’s important for them to appreciate these are overwhelmingly families that are looking for a better life for their children,” he said.
Obama added that Democrats and people in favor of leniency on illegal immigrants shouldn’t rush to tar people who want the system to be stronger as “racist.”
