Obama hopeful of passage of immigration bill

The current immigration reform was one of the major issue of discussion between US and Mexico

US President Barack Obama has expressed hope that the comprehensive immigration reform bill, currently being debated by the Congress, will be passed soon.

The President, who is on a visit to Mexico, observed that both Republican and Democratic parties have indicated that this is the appropriate time for passage of the bill.

"We've seen leaders from both parties indicate that now's the time to get comprehensive immigration reform done," Obama said a joint press conference with the Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City.

The current immigration reform was one of the major issue of discussion between the two countries.

Emphasising on legal immigration and trade, Obama said the US and Mexico need to make sure that they are not seeing illegal traffic, and US is allowed to continue to be a nation of immigrants who have contributed so much to the wealth and prosperity of our nation.

Obama also emphasised on getting a basic framework that secures the border, cracks down on the employers who are not taking the law seriously, and streamlines and enhances the legal immigration system.

The US President noted that there are still some areas where there is more work to be done, he said.

"Some of it is not simply securing the US from illegal traffic. Some of it is also improving the infrastructure which we talked about for commerce to be able to come in smoothly, which creates jobs and helps our businesses, both in the US and in Mexico," he added.