Obama not pushing to pass immigration reform this year

When President Obama promised the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce that he would begin work on immigration reform this year, people were optimistic that real change was to come. This optimism seems to have died down with recent comments from the Obama administration that indicate a delay in his promise. Given the current economic crisis, it is understandable that immigration might be too much for Obama to handle. House Democrats, on the other hand, are taking the issue more seriously with the knowledge that their constituents want action. It is a gamble of sorts for freshmen Democrats from swing districts, but as long as the GOP keeps bringing up the issue and Democrats have control over Congress, they are accountable for dealing with this.

Although Obama seems to be taking a back seat to the immigration reform effort for now, he is laying the groundwork for taking action later. He plans to remove incentives to enter the U.S. illegally, strengthen border security and cooperate with Mexico to cut down on illegal immigration.  At the same time, Obama will work with a diverse, bipartisan group of experts to build the framework for legislation. This group may start meeting as early as next month. In addition, as an increasing number of politicians point to immigration reform as a possible source of economic stimulus, it is possible that Obama’s work on the economy will soon merge with talk of immigration reform. The delay of his promise is certainly disappointing to some, but there is still plenty of hope left.