Hillary Clinton Says She Would Create Office on Immigrant Policy If President

[lunamagica]

NEW YORK—Seeking to press her case to Latino voters, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton said Wednesday she would create a national Office of Immigrant Affairs that would coordinate government policy on the issue if she reaches the White House.

The announcement came in conjunction with an endorsement of Mrs. Clinton by the New York State Immigrant Action Fund, one of New York’s largest immigrant-rights groups, and less than a week before the state’s Democratic primary, where a substantial portion of voters are expected to be Hispanic.

The new office would coordinate programs across federal, state and local governments, and would work to help integrate immigrants, refugees and their children into communities, the Clinton campaign said. An aide said the office would help undocumented immigrants as well as those in the U.S. legally.

Mrs. Clinton said she would propose $15 million in competitive grants to fund community navigators who would help guide people through the immigration system. She would also work to help people eligible to become citizens, a process she said was too complex.

Mrs. Clinton and her rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, have sought to paint themselves as the stronger supporter of immigrant rights. The Sanders campaign on Tuesday spotlighted Mrs. Clinton’s onetime opposition to granting driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, while Mrs. Clinton hit Mr. Sanders this week for voting against a 2007 immigration overhaul.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/hillary-clinton-says-she-would-create-office-on-immigrant-policy-if-president-1460590847

[DawgHouse]

1. Great idea, of course.

[SharonClark]

2. Glad Hillary will do this