During the president’s first 100 days in office we have witnessed a steady stream of campaign promises undergoing a transition to political reality. In January, Obama fulfilled a promise to reexamine the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp—and has since ordered the facility to be closed within the year. The latest example, though, came this week, when the president announced that he would be fully tackling the issue of immigration reform as early as next month. Critics were quick to point out that the president might be biting off more than he can chew by adding immigration to the long list of problems he has now promised to address—with the economy and health-care reform the obvious two heavyweights. Nevertheless, we believe that immigration reform is a very important issue that deserves attention now, and thus Obama’s announcement comes at the exact right time.

Immigration law is in dire need of a total policy overhaul. With conservative estimates of 12 million people living illegally within our borders, American society faces several problems. These illegal laborers tend to accept lower wages and zero benefits and are often reluctant to report abuse or maltreatment—each contributing to the propagation of social ills. In addition, the federal government is losing billions in potential tax revenue from these workers.

The solution, according to the president, would be to offer a path of legal residency to illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S. And, while such a bold proposal is sure to cause a stir on Capitol Hill, the logic behind this solution is fundamentally sound and reasonable. Moreover, it would be unfeasible, expensive, and unproductive to pursue a common alternative solution of launching a campaign to hunt down illegal immigrants and deport them. The plan wisely includes stricter penalties for future illegal immigrants and a bolstering of all immigration enforcements. The borders would also become more tightly monitored to ebb the flow of new immigrants to the U.S.

The announcement has already seen positive results. Two major American labor groups, the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win Federation, have united in their support for the plan—agreement that rarely happens. Back in 2007, when George W. Bush proposed a similar plan, these groups had different opinions, which contributed to the failure of the proposal. Hopes are high for more national agreement on the subject. Such legislation could also decrease jingoistic sentiments by making people realize that all immigrants can become meaningfully integrated in the American society.

As we wait for more details, we hope that pertinent legislation will continue to be passed. Specifically, we hope to see the Dream Act passed soon. The Dream Act would allow the children of illegal immigrants to take advantage of federal funds to pursue higher education—an obvious step in the right direction for the integration of illegal immigrants into American society.

Finally, while the focus of this legislation deals primarily with low-wage immigrants, we should seize upon this opportunity to also raise the cap on H-1B visas in order to attract highly skilled laborers who would help bolster the American economy. America has always been a country of hope, equality, and, of course, dreams. Obama’s immigration plan seeks to preserve this image and at the same time strengthen our country.