Democratic Party Platform Supports Comprehensive Immigration Reform

The Democratic Party’s platform for 2012, which was formally approved at the Democratic National Convention held in Charlotte, North Carolina, from September 4 through 6, supports comprehensive immigration reform that “brings undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and requires them to get right with the law, learn English, and pay taxes in order to get on a path to earn citizenship.”

The platform states, among other things, that the Department of Homeland Security is “prioritizing the deportation of criminals who endanger our communities over the deportation of immigrants who do not pose a threat.” It touts existing Obama administration efforts, such as deferred action for childhood arrivals in lieu of the DREAM Act and supporting family reunification as a priority. The platform states that the word “family” in immigration includes LGBT relationships ” to protect bi-national families threatened with deportation.”

The full text of the Democratic Party platform for 2012 is available online. A summary of the Republican Party platform’s immigration provisions is available in the September 1 ABIL Immigration Insider.