--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But I also want to give them a pathway so…" description: "\"But I also want to give them a pathway so that they can earn citizenship, earn a legal status, start learning English, pay a significant fine, go to th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/barack-obama-17_ability_but-i-also-want-to-give-them-a-pathway-s_594979.jpg" --- # But I also want to give them a pathway so that they can… ![“But I also want to give them a pathway so that they can earn citizenship, earn a legal status, start learning English, pay a significant fine, go to the back of the line, but they can then stay here and they can have the ability to enforce a minimum wage that they're paid, make sure the worker…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/barack-obama-17_ability_but-i-also-want-to-give-them-a-pathway-s_594979.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/barack-obama-17_ability_but-i-also-want-to-give-them-a-pathway-s_594979.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/barack-obama-17_ability_but-i-also-want-to-give-them-a-pathway-s_594979.jpg) > “But I also want to give them a pathway so that they can earn citizenship, earn a legal status, start learning English, pay a significant fine, go to the back of the line, but they can then stay here and they can have the ability to enforce a minimum wage that they're paid, make sure the worker safety laws are available, make sure that they can join a union.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A proposal to grant pathways to citizenship with conditions, aiming to protect workers and ensure rights. **In simple terms:** Offer a structured path to legal status and labor protections. Key Takeaway Support fair immigration policies. Themes immigration labor rights justice Mood concerned determined Type political policy When to use this quote - employment - legal status - unionization - worker safety Key Concepts policy human rights Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure fairness for all parties? - What safeguards prevent abuse? A Different Perspective Balancing enforcement with compassion is politically complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Citizenship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizenship/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Learning english](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-english/) [Minimum wage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minimum-wage/) [Pathways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pathways/) [Safety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safety/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [We should encourage people who have lived here peacefully for years to earn legal status over time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gutierrez/we-should-encourage-people-who-have-lived-here-peacefully-for-years/) [Luis Gutierrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gutierrez/) > [If my son wanted to join the NYPD, I'd want him to have the same pathway to the middle class as I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-adams/if-my-son-wanted-to-join-the-nypd-i-d-want-him-to-have-the-same/) [Eric Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-adams/) > [One of the most special days was a Saturday in 2010. The Senate repealed 'don't ask, don't tell,' so anyone can serve the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kal-penn/one-of-the-most-special-days-was-a-saturday-in-2010-the-senate/) [Kal Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kal-penn/) > [If somebody's going to earn citizenship, with whatever other hurdles are put in the way, at the end of the road they should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/if-somebody-s-going-to-earn-citizenship-with-whatever-other-hurdles/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [The opportunity to earn citizenship was vital to my success in this country, and today it is my highest honor to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-mayorkas/the-opportunity-to-earn-citizenship-was-vital-to-my-success-in-this/) [Alejandro Mayorkas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-mayorkas/) > [I promise you: No American whose great-grandfather was born here is watching soccer. One can only hope that, in addition to learning English, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/i-promise-you-no-american-whose-great-grandfather-was-born-here-is/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [My work on prime gaps lead to lots of media coverage, some good, some bad, some ugly, and some merely ridiculous. For example, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goldston/my-work-on-prime-gaps-lead-to-lots-of-media-coverage-some-good-some/) Daniel Goldston > [When I was a child I did engage in an arduous struggle to pass: learning English, getting rid of my accent, becoming conversant with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-sante/when-i-was-a-child-i-did-engage-in-an-arduous-struggle-to-pass/) [Luc Sante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-sante/) > [Why do you people want to continue to import people that are going to end up placing a burden on our population? Why? If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/why-do-you-people-want-to-continue-to-import-people-that-are-going-to/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Basketball definitely helped, because even though I couldn't speak English, I was able to spend a lot of time with my teammates, which helped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuta-watanabe/basketball-definitely-helped-because-even-though-i-couldn-t-speak/) [Yuta Watanabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuta-watanabe/) > [ “\[B\]y being so long in the lowest form I gained an immense advantage over the cleverer boys. They all went on to learn Latin… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/b-y-being-so-long-in-the-lowest-form-i-gained-an-immense-advantage/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [If I was just learning English and you told me a sport called BOXING takes place in a SQUARE area called a RING, I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-was-just-learning-english-and-you-told-me-a-sport-called-boxing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you do not learn English in this country, you cannot get anywhere. We are in America. We are not in Mexico, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-cruz/if-you-do-not-learn-english-in-this-country-you-cannot-get-anywhere/) [Rafael Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-cruz/) > [My mom had been a script supervisor in Hungary, but you can't just jump into that in Canada without knowing any English. She worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-collins/my-mom-had-been-a-script-supervisor-in-hungary-but-you-can-t-just/) [Petra Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-collins/) > [Anyone who stops learning is old — whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/anyone-who-stops-learning-is-old-whether-this-happens-at-twenty-or-at/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But I also want to give them a pathway so that they can earn citizenship, earn a legal status, start learning English, pay a significant fine, go to the back of the line, but they can then stay here and they can have the ability to enforce a minimum wage that they're paid, make sure the worker safety laws are available, make sure that they can join a union.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/but-i-also-want-to-give-them-a-pathway-so-that-they-can-earn/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/but-i-also-want-to-give-them-a-pathway-so-that-they-can-earn/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/barack-obama-17_ability_but-i-also-want-to-give-them-a-pathway-s_594979.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/barack-obama-17_ability_but-i-also-want-to-give-them-a-pathway-s_594979.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/barack-obama-17_ability_but-i-also-want-to-give-them-a-pathway-s_594979.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But I also want to give them a pathway so that they can earn citizenship, earn a legal status, start…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But I also want to give...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/but-i-also-want-to-give-them-a-pathway-so-that-they-can-earn/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/but-i-also-want-to-give-them-a-pathway-so-that-they-can-earn/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```