Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a Jewish conference the country’s immigration system is broken.
The United States must update its visa system, institute a nationwide verification employment system and create a way for those in this country illegally to become citizens, Napolitano told some 300 people attending a three-day Jewish Council for Public Affairs plenum in Washington.
Napolitano also spoke of the importance of keeping the Jewish community apprised of any possible threats to its synagogues, schools and community centers. The United States and Israel are working together on “cutting-edge security,” she said, praising the “very dynamic partnership we have with Israel.”
Also during the plenum, JCPA members voted to expand an earlier stand on gun control, calling for a comprehensive package that curtails access to some weapons and includes a waiting period before guns can be purchased, background checks, improved mental health care and criminal justice reforms. — jta