Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The very first undocumented immigrant to address the nation, Benita Veliz, spoke at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), imploring America to support Obama’s immigration reform.  Veliz, an advocate of The Dream Act, was almost deported after being stopped for a minor traffic violation, even though she had spent most of her childhood and adult life in the U.S.  It took an executive order from President Obama himself to stop her deportation and others like her who came to the United States as children. Veliz, introduced talk show host and TV personality, Cristina Saralegui, who addressed the audience with her own version of the American Dream.  As host of El Show de Cristina, Saralegui has built a following of 100 million viewers in over 40 countries.  A child of refugees who fled from the Castro regime in Cuba, Cristina believes the American Dream is still possible today–that is, if we vote for Obama.

But just outside of the DNC, a CONFOUNDING CONTRADICTION, 10 undocumented immigrants rallying to protest Obama’s immigration policies and practices were arrested!  Protesters called themselves the “Ride for Justice” activists.  They toured the country in a bus from Phoenix to Charlotte with the explicit goal of calling attention to the immigration policies of Arizona, Georgia, and Alabama.  At the DNC, they informed anyone who would listen that the Obama administration has deported a RECORD number of undocumented immigrants, MORE than the much-reviled Bush Administration, with 2011 hitting an all-time record high of 400,000, according to USA Today.  In 2.5 years, his administration deported over 1 million undocumented immigrants. If this pace continues, Obama will have deported more immigrants in one term than Bush did in two!!!  His record on immigration has not gone unnoticed amongst Latino Voters.  According to the Pew Hispanic Center, 59% of Latinos asked disapprove of Obama’s handling of deportations.

So for the 2012 election, what do we know about the immigration platforms of both Obama and Romney?  Here’s what I have so far:

Obama Platform:  Immigration REFORM that Accomplishes the following:

• creates a visa system that is responsive to U.S. economic needs
• promotes a modified amnesty
• keeps families together and supports reunification
• does not burden law enforcement
• does not punish honest employers
• brings immigrant workers out of the shadows
• deports undocumented immigrants who engage in criminal activity
• supports the Dream Act

Romney:  “Strategic” Immigration POLICY that Accomplishes the following:

• grants more work visas to immigrants with science, technology, engineering, and math backgrounds
• recruit international college students who are highly skilled in science, technology, engineering, and math to stay in the United States
• reaffirm states rights with respect to immigration policy
• no Amnesty
• strengthened border control
• rejects the Dream Act