America
Hillary Clinton speaks out for immigration reform
Las Vegas, June 19
Democratic presidential
hopeful Hillary Clinton said here in a speech to a major Hispanic
organisation that her commitment to immigration reform includes a path
to citizenship for the undocumented.
"I will continue to fight
for comprehensive immigration reform with a real path to citizenship for
families," she told members of the National Association of Latino
Elected and Appointed Officials at the group's annual convention in Las
Vegas on Thursday
The former secretary of state expressed similar
sentiments during a visit to Nevada city early last month for a meeting
with the so-called "Dreamers" -- undocumented migrants who were brought
to the US as children.
She criticised Republicans in Congress
for blocking immigration reform and defended President Barack Obama's
decision to issue executive orders aimed at protecting some 5 million
migrants from deportation.
The Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals programme, launched in 2012, has benefited hundreds of
thousands of Dreamers, but Obama's attempt to aid the undocumented
parents of US-born children is on hold after a federal judge issued an
injunction.
"I will stand up against any attempt to expose
Dreamers to deportation. And as I said recently in Las Vegas, if
Congress continues to refuse to act, as president I will do everything
possible under the law to go even further than President Obama has,"
Clinton told the NALEO gathering.
The front-runner for the 2016
Democratic nomination was greeted with a standing ovation when she took
the stage at the Aria hotel convention centre.