Oakland County residents share their views on Obama's proposed immigration reform WITH VIDEO

Immigrant Ole Gleen of Madison Heights was one of several people to share an opinion about President Obama's immigration reform proposal, Wednesday. The proposal would create a path for undocumented immigrants to gain citizenship.

Employers should face penalties for hiring those who are not U.S. citizens.

That's the opinion of David Shantz, 75, of Oakland Township, who was among several residents who reacted to President Obama's plan to streamline immigration reform. It would create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants while continuing to improve border patrol. The proposal would require illegal immigrants to pay a financial penalty, pay their taxes, pass background checks and learn English.

Shantz said he agrees with most of the proposal's efforts but one thing Obama should talk about is a guest worker program.

"A lot of the illegal immigrants are people coming in through migrant labor, construction and so on and so forth, and unless we let them in on some kind of legal basis, they're going to come anyway," Shantz said.

"We should have some sort of penalty for employers who hire people who are undocumented.

"There should be a path to citizenship for people who are here illegally, and I think we should focus illegal immigration more on the kinds of people who have the skills the economy needs," Shantz said.

Ole Gleen, 27, an Oakland University alumni from Russia living in Madison Heights, said there is no place for illegal immigrants in the United States.

"I came here legally," he said. "If you can't, then you shouldn't be here."

He agreed with Shantz that immigrants should have to learn English, pay taxes and hold a job.

"If they have any kind of criminal record, they have to get sent back because we have enough criminals here," Gleen said.

U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., said the need to act now on immigration legislation is important, and he is pleased with the president's comprehensive approach.

"We must act with urgency to craft a legislative solution that fixes our immigration system while protecting the well-being of American citizens," he said.