US President Barack Obama is expected to make immigration reform a priority in his State of the Union Address. But already, talk of tackling this controversial issue is gaining momentum. There are an estimated 11-million illegal immigrants in the United States with more still hoping to cross the border. Claudia Hernandez came here as a child, and like many in her situation, she feels she belongs in the U.S. "I have been here more than half of my life, and I respect the United States. This is my country," she said. Only days into his second term, President Obama began the push for change. "The time has come for common-sense, comprehensive immigration reform," he stated. "The time is now." Already, Congress has begun to hold hearings. And a bipartisan group of senators, including former Republican presidential candidate John McCain, is pushing ahead with a plan of its own. "We have been too content for too long to allow individuals to mow our lawn, serve us food, clean our homes and even watch our children while not affording them any of the benefits that make our country so great," McCain said. The bi-partisan plan calls for tighter border controls as well as a path to citizenship, something President Obama insists upon. That worries Jim Gilchrist. He founded the Minuteman Project, a citizen's group that helps guard the border. |