Obama: Being American Is ‘Not a Matter of Blood or Birth’

President Barack Obama said Thursday that being American “is not a matter of blood or birth,” but said that “no matter how decent” the 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. are, they should be held accountable for breaking the law.

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Obama said Thursday that while America has always defined itself as a nation of immigrants, and while the “overwhelming majority” of illegal immigrants come to the U.S. in search of a better life, “The presence of so many illegal immigrants makes a mockery of all those who are going through the process of immigration legally.”

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The president called for a “pathway to legal status that is fair, reflective of our values and works,” a process he said has been “held hostage by political posturing and special interest wrangling.”

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