(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel says the only way for the United States to truly resolve its ongoing migrant crisis is with an overhaul of the nation's immigration policies.
Emanuel, currently the U.S. ambassador to Japan, was in his hometown this week and sat down with WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore to discuss a variety of issues, including immigration.
The last comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S. occurred in 1986, Emanuel noted, but much has changed at the Southern Border since then. Climate change and the growing instability of some countries has exacerbated the problem, he said.
“The issue isn’t the border, because I think there’s a lot of consensus,” he said. “It’s asylum and the refugee issue, which is part of the immigration [issue], but it’s different from illegal immigration.”
Emanuel acknowledged the Southern Border needs to be tightened, but he says people should recognize asylum seekers are often fleeing political turmoil or drug gang violence.
He said presidents like his former boss, Barack Obama, have issued executive orders relating to immigration because Congress has failed to agree on reforms.
Emanuel, 64, is a former Democratic congressman and White House chief of staff who served two terms as mayor. He was in Chicago this week in part to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the City Colleges' Star Scholar program, which began under his administration.
Public school students who earn a "B" average in high school can receive free tuition and books at the City Colleges of Chicago.
Rahm Emanuel is the guest on this weekend's edition of "At Issue," which airs 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
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