President Barack Obama put the spotlight on immigration Tuesday, highlighting the principles he would like to see included in an immigration reform bill.

In his speech, the president outlined a few key elements to a reform bill, including better enforcement of immigration laws; provide a path to citizenship for more than 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country, and reforming the legal immigration system.

Obama said undocumented immigrants would need to pass background checks, learn English, pay a penalty and get in line behind those trying to enter the United States legally.

The president's speech came just days after eight U.S. senators, four from each party, put forth an outline on ways to overall immigration reform.

If enacted, the new laws could drastically change the lives of hundreds in the Borderland.
The border has divided many families, including that of Maria Rocha of Chaparral. While Rocha is a U.S. citizen, her husband was not.

"Yes, he entered the U.S. illegally and he was detained by the police and they deported him. By that time, I had already filed the paperwork for him but they still detained him, deported him and we went through a lot of trouble to bring him back and be together again," said Rocha.

Rocha said she would take her four children back and forth across the border to Juarez to visit their father. Their son has a heart condition, which Rocha said is what finally helped her husband get his visa years after being separated.

Other families aren't so lucky.

Ruben Garcia is the executive director of Annunciation House, an organization that provides refuge for immigrants, many of whom are seeking asylum.

"We've seen many, many families who have crossed over who are in the process of seeking asylum as they flee the violence in Mexico," said Garcia.

Many fleeing the violence said the choice is easy: Stay in Mexico and be killed, or flee to the U.S. illegally, live below the radar and hope for asylum.

He believes the separation of families and deportation of parents whose children are U.S. citizens is at the heart of the push for immigration
reform.

"This is not who we want to be as a country. I think there is an element of that. This is about how we want to identify ourselves as country. When people see a mom and dad placed on a vehicle or a plane to be departed and their U.S. citizen children remain and they stop and they realize, we are deporting your parents because they are undocumented but the children were born here they say, 'That is not who we are. That is not what we want to do,'" said Garcia.

It will be up to Congress to draft legislation. What that reform will include remains to be seen but Garcia said what you can be sure of is any bill will likely legalize more than 11 million undocumented immigrants.

"There is no question that whatever happens it is going to legalize the 11.2 million illegal immigrants," said Garcia.

Garcia said president's speech is in indication that the political environment is recognizing the need for change. Garcia added politicians can't afford to do nothing any longer.

"There is motivation. The Republican Party saw the writing on the wall dramatically. If they do not help bring about immigration reform the Republican Party will never see the White House again. You cannot afford to lose 70 percent of the Hispanic vote and still expect to get into the White House," said Garcia.

Many expect a bill to make its way through Congress by the summer; however, Obama said he would draft his own immigration bill if Congress did not act in a timely manner.

Even in the country of immigrants, Americans are divided on the topic.
Rocha just hopes new laws will help keep families together.

"I think that if they're not doing anything wrong, that they should be allowed to stay. They shouldn't separate families. That is just based on my own experience. My kids suffered a lot. They dealt with a lot with their father still in Mexico. It was very sad, our children cried for their dad. It is something very sad, very ugly," said Rocha.