The Olympics – Yet Another Victim of America’s Broken Immigration System
October 2nd, 2009
Newspapers are reporting today that during the official Q & A session following the Chicago bid for the Olympic Games, I.O.C. member, Syed Shahid Ali, from Pakistan, asked President Obama how smooth it would be for foreigners to enter the United States for the Olympic Games. He added that doing so can sometimes be “a rather harrowing experience.”
While this I.O.C. member’s concerns raise a red flag about the need for a change in our immigration policies, a litany of voices have been warning for years that the U.S. is slowly adopting an anti-immigrant and visitor policy that is harming business, higher education and families.
While the I.O.C. questioned Brazil on combating crime, and Japan was questioned for a lackluster proposal that led it to claim the country’s plan was environmentally friendly. The U.S. was pushed hardest on its immigration policies making it clear that the broken immigration system has officially become a major concern in the eyes of the world.
President Obama said at a recent White House gathering that he believes in comprehensive immigration reform and that it is on his agenda. However, this recent disappointment proves that immigration reform is not just a pressing U.S. domestic issue, but an international one as well.
Posted in: Global, Homepage News, Issues, Members, North America, Social Justice
Related keywords: immigration, immigration reform, olympic games
