Just last month, on Veterans Day, the President spoke of the critical role of our service member institutions:

“It’s the example of the single-most diverse institution in our country – soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and coastguardsmen who represent every corner of our country, every shade of humanity, immigrant and native-born, Christian, Muslim, Jew, and nonbeliever alike, all forged into common service.”

That is why today, the President established a new federal Interagency Working Group charged with enhancing access to services and benefits for new American service members, veterans, and their families. 

Like other immigrants and refugees, these new Americans are a source of our nation’s strength and exemplify their commitment to the past, present, and future of our country. These brave new Americans have taken the extraordinary step of answer the call of duty to support and defend our country—some even before becoming American citizens. Like other immigrants and refugees, these new Americans are a source of our nation’s strength and exemplify their commitment to the past, present, and future of our country.

Over the past decade, the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security have strengthened partnerships to provide services and opportunities to service members, veterans, and their families interacting with the U.S. immigration system. Indeed, since 2001, more than 110,000 service members have been naturalized and many were assisted in the process through partnerships such as the “Naturalization at Basic Training Initiative,” which gives non-citizen enlistees the opportunity to naturalize during basic training. Despite these efforts, service members, veterans, and their families too often still face barriers to accessing immigration benefits and other assistance for which they may be eligible.  

Over the past 8 years, President Obama has spoken at several naturalization ceremonies for service members and their families, including two ceremonies held at the White House on the Fourth of July.  These ceremonies have provided the President with the opportunity to be among the first to welcome these newest Americans, each with their own path.  

“Some of you came here as children, brought by parents who dreamed of giving you the opportunities that they had never had. Others of you came as adults, finding your way through a new country and a new culture and a new language. All of you did something profound: You chose to serve. You put on the uniform of a country that was not yet fully your own. In a time of war, some of you deployed into harm’s way. You displayed the values that we celebrate every Fourth of July -- duty, responsibility, and patriotism.”

It is our hope that through this Presidential Memorandum and the new Interagency Working Group it establishes, new American service members, veterans and their families will be better able to receive the services and benefits to which they are entitled and be able to live their lives to the fullest—just as they deserve. 

Read the Presidential Memorandum here. 

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! This is my seventh year celebrating it as a staffer at the White House, and it’s hard to believe it will be the final one.

Growing up in a Mexican-American family in San Antonio, Texas, I was raised to be proud of both my Mexican and American heritage. I was taught the values of this country by my parents, grandparents, and very large network of extended family and friends. I was taught that anyone can achieve their dreams, if they work hard. But I never thought I’d end up in the White House. And as someone who’s worked on public policy and social justice issues all her life, I never thought I’d get the opportunity to be part of the progress we’ve made under this remarkable president.

Last night, President Obama kicked off the month with a speech celebrating the strides that Hispanic Americans have made together over the past eight years. He thanked the Hispanic American community for having his back and lifting him up. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this one.

Under President Obama, we’ve brought back the economy from the brink and helped make sure more families have access to the same basic opportunities: a good-paying job, affordable health care, and a good education. Since the President took office, about 4 million more Hispanic Americans have health care than before, and more Hispanic students are graduating high school than ever before.

And last year, across every race and age group in America, incomes grew at the fastest rate on record -- and Hispanic American families had some of the fastest income growth.

I started my career fighting for DREAMers, and am personally proud of our work to bring these inspiring young people out of the shadows and to keep families together. Through the President’s executive actions to modernize our immigration system, more than 740,000 DREAMers have been able to contribute to the only country they’ve ever known.

But we all know there is more work to do. And while we have not achieved our ultimate goal of passing commonsense immigration reform, we have broadened and deepened the coalition of support, and I am confident we will get there because you will continue to fight for it.

As President Obama said last night, “Immigrants aren’t somehow changing the American character; Immigrants ARE the American character.

When I reflect on the work we have left to do, I think of the values my family taught me in San Antonio, and of their boundless faith in this country: the idea that if we stay optimistic and stick together, progress is possible.

Mil gracias,

Felicia

Those who have been approved for deferred action on a case-by-case basis include more than 650,000 young people who are ready to give back to the only country they have ever known. They are American in every way but on paper. As we take this time to reflect on the impact of the DACA policy announced in 2012, we recognize that the young people who were able to emerge from the shadows are more than just numbers and statistics, they are aspiring Americans -- each with a unique story and contribution to this country. 

As we heard the President say in his last meeting in the Oval Office with DREAMers, thanks to DACA:

Young people who didn’t think it would be possible for themselves to go to college suddenly are going to college. Young people who didn’t think that it might be possible to start a business suddenly find themselves in a position to look at starting a business. Young people who have memories of their mothers weeping because they couldn't go to the funeral of their parent now have seen the prospect, the hope, that their lives can stabilize and normalize in some way.

Throughout the last three years, the President, Vice President, and other Administration officials have had the opportunity to meet DACA recipients and hear their inspiring stories, including:

• The six DREAMers invited to the Oval Office earlier this year to meet with the President. The stories of Steven Arteaga, Jean Yannick Diouf, Blanca Gamez, Maria Praeli, Rishi Singh, and Bati-amgalan Tsogtsaikhan are emblematic of those of millions more young people across the country. Hear their stories and watch the video of the President meeting with these DREAMers.
• Ten DACA recipients honored for their exemplary leadership in their communities in June of 2014. The young adults from Mexico, Colombia, Taiwan, Morocco, the Philippines, and New Delhi were brought to the U.S. as immigrant children. Learn more about the DACA Champions of Change in 2014 and their remarkable stories.
• Families like Diana Colin's. She met with President Obama, is a legal permanent resident, who has a brother that received deferred action as a result of the DACA process. You can learn more about her family’s stories here.
• Kevin Lee, a DACA recipient, met with the President and Vice President in 2013. His parents emigrated from South Korea in 1999, when he was 9 years old. Watch as Kevin shares his “American DREAMer” story in the Oval Office.

We also know that DACA has helped to lift up communities and improve local economies. A new report from Center for American Progress shows the potential economic benefits of deferred action policies with new state-by-state data. According to the report, the DACA policy — together with the expanded deferred action guidelines announced last November, which are currently on hold pending litigation — would grow the economy by $230 billion over 10 years if fully implemented. This report builds on analysis by the President’s Council on Economic Advisers, which found that the President’s executive actions would boost the nation’s GDP and increase productivity and wages of all American workers.

Today marks an important milestone, but it’s important to remember that the DACA policy announced in 2012 continues and people can still request DACA. It is also critical that individuals seeking a renewal under the 2012 DACA guidelines submit the appropriate materials at least 120 days before their current period of deferred action expires. To learn more about the guidelines necessary for applying for DACA or the renewal process, click here.

And while this policy has made a difference in the lives of so many, the only way to have a lasting solution to our broken immigration system is for Congress to pass comprehensive, commonsense immigration reform legislation that includes a pathway to earned citizenship.

Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas stand for the National Anthem at a naturalization ceremony at the Martin Luther King Junior Center, in Atlanta, Georgia, November 14, 2013. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

On Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden spoke at a naturalization ceremony at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He welcomed 104 newly naturalized citizens, representing 50 countries. This ceremony is one of 120 naturalization ceremonies held throughout the nation and overseas in the last two weeks to welcome approximately 8,000 new U.S. citizens.

At the ceremony, the Vice President thanked the new citizens for pursuing American citizenship. “Thank you for choosing us - thank you for concluding America was worthy of your aspirations,” he said. “The truth of the matter is you’ve been Americans for a long time, long before you raised your right hand today, because you’ve all adhered to the idea of America.”

The event highlighted the Obama Administration’s celebration of citizenship and across the board commitment to passing commonsense immigration reform that includes a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living and working in the U.S. today.

The Vice President recognized that immigration makes us stronger, and that if we want to keep attracting the best and brightest talent the world has to offer, then we need to do a better job of welcoming them. He called for reforms to our immigration system that will help harness the talent and ingenuity of all those like them who want to work hard and find a place here in America.

New U.S. Citizens take the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony at the Martin Luther King Junior Center, in Atlanta, Georgia, November 14, 2013. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

The Vice President’s visit to Atlanta culminated a week of engagement on celebrating immigrants’ contributions and making the moral case for immigration reform. On Tuesday, the Vice President hosted a conference call with Catholic organizations, stressing the moral case for commonsense immigration reform. The call included the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, representatives from Catholic Colleges and Universities, and NETWORK, a National Catholic Social Justice Organization which was founded by 47 Catholic Sisters over 40 years ago and is now directed by Sister Simone Campbell.

On Wednesday, the Vice President joined President Obama, and senior Administration officials in a meeting with faith leaders in the Oval Office to discuss the importance of taking action to pass commonsense immigration reform. The President and the Vice President commended the faith leaders for their tireless efforts in sharing their stories with Congress, while noting there is no reason for House Republicans to continue to delay action on this issue that has garnered bipartisan support.

The President, the Vice President and the Administration will continue working with both sides of the aisle to ensure that commonsense immigration reform becomes reality as soon as possible.  And to our nation’s newest citizens, we congratulate them and remind them that in the United States anyone can write the next great chapter of our nation’s history. 

One of the first companies to do this was Bethlehem Steel, which supported their immigrant workforce more fully integrating into the United States by offering free English classes back in 1915.  Today, there are many more companies who are honoring that legacy by assisting their employees with the citizenship process.  That’s because businesses recognize that citizenship is an asset not only for their workers and their families, but for the economy as a whole.

This week, the White House released a report highlighting the economic benefits of providing a path to earned citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living and working in the U.S. shadow economy.

The report compiled outside estimates showing that providing earned citizenship for these workers would increase their wages and, over 10 years, boost U.S. GDP by $1.4 trillion, increase total income for all Americans by $791 billion, and generate $184 billion in additional state and federal tax revenue from currently undocumented immigrants.  It would also add about 2 million jobs to the U.S. economy.

Sharing in the tradition started by Bethlehem Steel in 1915, businesses step up in a variety of ways to help their employees reach the American dream.  Many are being helped by an innovative initiative whose name is actually inspired by the forward thinking of Bethlehem. Through the Bethlehem Project, companies are partnering with community-based organizations to provide services to their workforce.

Another example includes Marriott International’ Global Language Learning Initiative, which makes language learning available for its U.S. workforce to help immigrant workers learn English and U.S.-born staffers become proficient in foreign languages.  And some companies are offering interest-free loans to assist employees who would otherwise have a difficult time paying the naturalization application fee.

Investing in the future of an employee is a win for the company and for the employee. And as the research from the new White House reports suggests, citizenship also helps workers thrive.  For companies, helping an employee apply for citizenship builds loyalty in the company. 

During my time in the Obama Administration, I have had the privilege of attending several naturalization ceremonies held at the White House.  Those ceremonies – which are similar to ones that occur every day across the country – are reminders of the basic principle of our country: that anyone, no matter where they came from, can become an American citizen if they are willing to work for it and take on the responsibilities of citizenship. 

Commonsense immigration reform would honor this principle.  And as the new White House report and those involved in the efforts  highlighted above can attest to, it would also be good for business and the economy. 

On July 4, to celebrate our nation’s birth, White House Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough, gave remarks at a special ceremony at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon where 101 new citizens recited the Oath of Allegiance and became American citizens. Mt. Vernon is one of the prominent landmarks to host naturalization ceremonies this year in honor of Independence Day.

During the ceremony, Mr. McDonough discussed the ways immigrants have always contributed to the success of our economy:

“Throughout our history, immigrants have enriched our nation. From Albert Einstein who brought us the theory of relativity to Andrew Carnegie who led the American expansion in steel. From Madeline Albright our former Secretary of State to Jerry Yang who founded Yahoo!. America has benefited immensely from the contributions and talents of these and millions of other immigrants.”

On July 3, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew delivered remarks at a naturalization ceremony at the Department of Treasury to honor a group of people who took the Oath of Citizenship.

During the ceremony, Secretary Lew shared his family’s immigrant story:

“These naturalization ceremonies are especially moving for me. My father was born in Poland. His family left their small town for America at the end of World War I. My mother’s family made the journey just a few years earlier. They were lucky. They had the chance to leave before the Second World War was underway. And they were especially fortunate to come here to America. Today, I can proudly say I am a first generation American and Treasury Secretary of the United States.

Everyone has a specific journey and challenges overcome. It takes incredible resolve to become an American citizen. Citizenship isn’t given. It’s earned by each every person participating in these naturalization ceremonies this week. Their decision to become citizens has made our country stronger. We cannot forget we have always been a nation of immigrants. It is what defines us. And it is what makes our society and our economy so vibrant.

It is no surprise that when you look at the list of America’s best businesses, many of them were started by immigrants or children of immigrants. Immigration is not just something that is consistent with our values. It is also consistent with growing our economy, increasing jobs, and expanding our middle class. Yet the troubling truth remains that too many immigrants do not get a fair shot at the American dream. Too often, they are forced to live and work in the shadows. This not only hurts them, it hurts America as well.

There is a bipartisan immigration bill before Congress that would fix our broken immigration system. This comprehensive legislation does a number of things. It strengthens our borders. It provides a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million people who are here illegally. And it will boost economic growth.

This bill will drive growth by bringing highly skilled scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to the United States. We will also see our deficits shrink, and with added workers on our payrolls, Social Security and Medicare will be put on a more stable footing. In fact, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, this legislation will lower our deficits by nearly a trillion dollars over the next two decades.

In addition to the celebration at Mt. Vernon and the Department of Treasury, there were ceremonies at the Chicago Cultural Center; Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona; the Freedom Tower in Miami; the Battleship Missouri Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea. We congratulate all of our newest citizens and remind them, as the President often does when speaking at naturalization ceremonies, that in the United States anyone can write the next great chapter of our nation’s history.

DACA is just one of the many steps the Department of Homeland Security has taken to make our immigration enforcement policies smarter and more effective at focusing on our priorities. These steps all ensure that our immigration enforcement can focus on high-priority individuals instead of clogging the system with low priority cases.

Those who have been approved for deferred action include earnest, productive young people who are ready to give back to the only country they have ever known and in the fullest possible sense. They are American in every way but on paper. As the President has said many times, it makes no sense to remove productive young people to countries where they may not have lived or even speak the language.

While DACA is an important step forward, the only way to have a lasting solution is for Congress to pass commonsense immigration reform that includes a pathway to earned citizenship. We welcome the Senate’s current debate on a commonsense immigration reform bill that has bipartisan support.

This legislation isn’t just about policy – it’s about people. The President and Vice President recently met with DREAMers as well as with the siblings and spouses of undocumented immigrants, to hear directly from those affected daily by our nation’s broken immigration system.

One person in that meeting was Kevin Lee, a DACA recipient who currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Kevin’s parents emigrated from South Korea to California in 1999 when he was 9 years old. Kevin graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles and has a B.A. in History and a minor in Asian Humanities. Understanding the struggles of recent immigrants, Kevin recently took his LSATs with the hopes obtaining a law degree in order to serve and advocate on behalf of his community. 

I am also a graduate of UCLA. I am certain that Kevin and I walked the same streets on campus, studied in the same libraries, and frequented the same coffee shops on late night studying breaks during finals. When I see Kevin’s story captured here, I cannot help but imagine what his life would be like if he did not have to worry every day about his undocumented status. Imagine how much more he will be able to achieve when commonsense immigration reform is enacted.

Kevin is not alone. He stands with others who only want the chance to earn their way into the American story. We hope that the Congress will answer his call.

Felicia Escobar is Senior Policy Director for Immigration in the White House Domestic Policy Council

Vice President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the Irish American Hall of Fame luncheon, in New York City, New York, March 21, 2013. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

As he was inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame yesterday, Vice President Biden recalled his family’s past coming to America – and he called on Congress to fix our broken immigration system for a new generation of men and women who dream of a better life in this country.

The Vice President stressed that while we have to find a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants already here, we also have to fix our legal immigration system.

It’s a system that is well intended, but today it keeps families separated, and actually has the effect of sending talented people away from our country.

We have to change that. As the Vice President said, “We have to fix the system to focus on families.” And we can do that by increasing country caps and visas so families can be reunited.

Vice President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the Irish American Hall of Fame luncheon, in New York City, New York, March 21, 2013. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Vice President Biden also pointed out what a waste it is to send as many as 40,000 people with advanced STEM degrees back to their home countries after they graduate from American schools. “Every one of those kids as they cross the stage at the university this May or June should have a green card stamped to their diploma,” he said. “It’s in the interest of the United States of America. If they find a job here, they should be able to stay here and help us build and compete.”

Ultimately, this is a question of who we are as a country, and who we will be in the future. And as the Vice President said, “It never ceases to amaze me that when others talk about us abroad, what is buried in the translation is that America is about possibilities.  It's all about possibilities -- possibilities for those who are willing to work hard, those who are willing to play by the rules. The history of the journey of this country, in my view, has been the promise that anything is possible.”