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Dear Readers:  I have received several inquiries about U.S. presidential candidates' positions on immigration.  Over the next few weeks I will comment on those positions.  Today's column will focus on the views of Senator Barack Obama.

Answer: Senator Obama believes that our immigration system needs to be fixed.  One of his primary concerns is immigrant family reunification.  He also supports a system that allows eligible undocumented immigrants to pay a fine, learn English, clear a rigorous criminal background investigation and become legalized.  Senator Obama would also like the borders to be secure, using more advanced technology.  He believes that there should be incentives in place to discourage immigrants from entering the country without documents.  One incentive is to crack down on employers that hire undocumented immigrants.  Senator Obama also wants to encourage eligible immigrants to become United States citizens.  He would promote legislation to lower naturalization filing fees and improve the speed and accuracy of mandatory FBI background checks which have slowed down the process.  Finally, Mr. Obama believes the legal immigrants who have fought for our country abroad should have an expedited path to citizenship.  For more on candidate Obama's views on immigration visit his website at www.barackobama.com