Civil rights groups monitor steps toward immigration reform

>>> mark mor eh l, president of the national urban league . thank you for being with us.

>> how will this help the underserved americans?

>> well, it's early cherry blossom season in washington . it's good to see a serious start in a serious effort at a bipartisan solution. fairness, compassion, and -- keeping many mind that while a large portion of them are latino, there are people from the caribbean, people from africa, people from asia, and people from europe who are part of those 11 million, so it's important to recognize that the problem or the situation or the people involved are not simply from one part of the world. they're from all overtime world. i think number two, the civil rights and social justice community strongly agrees that this is an issue whose time has come. we support, i think, a fair, sensible, compassionate path to citizenship for those that are in this country and are if there are some areas that we think need further discussion, it's the area of the impact on jobs, and we think that goes to what the future policy is going to be. the idea that i like is the idea of having an independent mechanism, a commission of sorts and secondly to have some sort of adjustment dollars available so that while working to solve this problem we don't have a detrimental impact. we're working people who are in this country who are citizens and who are of long-standing in this nation. we think we applaud it. we think it's a positive day. good to see you. good to see some bipartisan cooperation. it's a good start.

>> as a former mayor and a spokesman for, you know, urban americans as well, what about the gun issue and the attempts, dianne feinstein is just getting hit by the nra for her leadership on this issue. what can the urban league do to help push along the gun lawed agenda?

>> the gun manufacturers lobby and their allies will attack anyone who seeks -- to impose commonsense gun legislation, and i think we have to change -- make sure that the discussion is not about a lobby group in washington that it is a discussion about the children. it's a discussion about the victims. whether they be the awful tragedy in aurora or newtown or if it's downtown chicago or if it's east side of detroit or new orleans or baltimore, thb about the victims and the children, and what makes good sense in the 21st century , so i applaud the president, senator feinstein. we support what they're doing. we think there ought to be particular emphasis on prevention measures and on mental health interventions, and we think that that should not get lost in the discussion as we move forward.

>> thank you very much. you heading back home for the super bowl ?

>> you know, i'm trying to figure that out and, you know, i'm going to root for the ravens.

>> well --

>> since the saints aren't in it.

>> that is a popular position here in washington d.c. the washington baltimore corridor. thank you