Hillary Clinton speaks out for immigration reform

Las Vegas, June 19: Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton said here in a speech to a major Hispanic organisation that her commitment to immigration reform includes a path to citizenship for the undocumented.

"I will continue to fight for comprehensive immigration reform with a real path to citizenship for families," she told members of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials at the group's annual convention in Las Vegas on Thursday

The former secretary of state expressed similar sentiments during a visit to Nevada city early last month for a meeting with the so-called "Dreamers" -- undocumented migrants who were brought to the US as children.

She criticised Republicans in Congress for blocking immigration reform and defended President Barack Obama's decision to issue executive orders aimed at protecting some 5 million migrants from deportation.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, launched in 2012, has benefited hundreds of thousands of Dreamers, but Obama's attempt to aid the undocumented parents of US-born children is on hold after a federal judge issued an injunction.

"I will stand up against any attempt to expose Dreamers to deportation. And as I said recently in Las Vegas, if Congress continues to refuse to act, as president I will do everything possible under the law to go even further than President Obama has," Clinton told the NALEO gathering.

The front-runner for the 2016 Democratic nomination was greeted with a standing ovation when she took the stage at the Aria hotel convention centre.

IANS