GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Locked in a health care debate that is claiming much of his energy, President Barack Obama acknowledged Monday that a push to overhaul the U.S. immigration system would have to wait until 2010.
Obama suggested it would be too ambitious to aim for a bill addressing such concerns as illegal immigration before the end of the year, at a time when he will be confronting “a pretty big stack of bills.”
Speaking at the end of a two-day summit meeting of North American leaders, Obama said his administration was meeting with lawmakers to try to come up with an immigration plan that would have bipartisan support.
“When we come back next year . . . we should be in a position to start acting,” he said.
As a candidate, Obama said in July 2008 that he would make immigration “a top priority in my first year as president.” But the economic crisis and realities of governing have forced him to re-examine how best to roll out his agenda.
In the most detailed outline yet of his timetable, Obama said he expected the Democratic-controlled Congress, after completing work on health care, energy and financial regulation, to draft immigration bills this year, and that he would begin work on getting them passed in 2010.
Opponents of the existing immigration structure are dismayed by the latest timetable.
Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, an advocacy group, said, “I think we’d be smarter to move on it this year. There’s a real hunger on the part of the American public to make sure immigrants are legal, are working toward citizenship, are paying their taxes and not being used by bad-actor employers to undercut honest employers.”
Obama said he was confident that he ultimately would prevail in providing a road to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the United States. But previewing the expected struggle to get such a bill passed, he said illegal-immigration foes would put up stout resistance.
“Now, am I going to be able to snap my fingers and get this done?” said Obama, speaking on a stage alongside Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. “No.”
“This is going to be difficult; it’s going to require bipartisan cooperation. There are going to be demagogues out there who try to suggest that any form of pathway for legalization for those who are already in the United States is unacceptable.”
He added, “But ultimately, I think the American people want fairness.”
The summit was aimed at increasing cooperation on a broad range of shared problems and resolving some of the issues that have strained trilateral relations. During the meetings, which began Sunday afternoon, Obama, Calderon and Harper discussed climate change and clean energy, swine flu, immigration, trade and organized crime.
Although it was clear at the news conference that the three leaders had not reached any significant new agreements, they expressed understanding for one another’s positions and vowed to keep working to resolve disputes.
The New York Times contributed to this report.
Obama on other issues
HEALTH CARE: “We are having a vigorous debate in the United States, and I think that’s a healthy thing,” he said. But, he said, the dynamic will change when lawmakers return to Washington. “I suspect that once we get into the fall and people look at the actual legislation that’s being proposed, that more sensible and reasoned arguments will emerge.”
HONDURAS: Obama defended U.S. efforts to help restore Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a June 28 coup. He said critics of his policy in Honduras smacked of “hypocrisy,” faulting the United States for being too heavy-handed in Latin America and yet telling him he has not intervened enough in this instance.
MEXICO’S DRUG WAR: Washington is debating whether to withhold money to help fight drug cartels because of allegations that the Mexican military has been guilty of human-rights abuses. Obama said he had great confidence that under Mexican President Felipe Calderon, “human rights will be observed.”
THE ECONOMY: Noting the huge trading partnership among the three neighbors, Obama said that commerce must be expanded, not restricted. He said that a “Buy America” provision in the giant economic stimulus package earlier this year had not hurt trade with Canada.
The Associated Press
