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Over the span of several U.S. election cycles, there have been calls for comprehensive immigration reform to fix a system that people on both sides of the political spectrum agree is broken. But some observers say President Barack Obamas recent executive action aimed at temporarily shielding some undocumented foreigners from being deported may have doomed his longer-term goal of forging a comprehensive agreement with Congress.

Obamas recent executive action allows some four million undocumented residents in the United States to seek temporary legal status. But without Congressional approval, he cannot achieve comprehensive immigration reform.

Republicans, who won majorities in both houses of Congress in Novembers midterm elections, replied through Speaker of the House, John Boehner. Instead of working together to fix our broken immigration system, the president says he is acting on his own," he said. "That is just not how our democracy works.

Tony Payan, Director of the Mexico Center at Rice Universitys Baker Institute, says Obama's action will help a lot of people come out of the shadows and "essentially, become a little more integrated, in a legal, formal sense, into the American economy and the American society.

"But it was also very counterproductive because I feel that it polarized many of the Republicans who might have been willing to do something on immigration, he added.

While some undocumented immigrants support the move, others have mixed feelings about what they see as a temporary fix.

Payan says there are concerns about applying for legal status under this temporary measure.

Once they surrender their personal information to the government, once the government knows who they are and where they are and if the next president is not willing to extend that temporary protected status, then they are going to be found very quickly and to be denied, he said.

Republicans say they want to secure the border with Mexico before approving other measures. The surge of Central American immigrants at the Texas border earlier this year underscored this concern.

Continued here:
US Immigration Reform Appears Unlikely in 2015

In an exclusive interview with NPR, President Obama says Republicans are in a position to responsibly govern when they take control of both houses of Congress in January. (Reuters)

Throughout much of 2014, it was painfully obvious that if the GOP didnt act on immigration reform, the issue would become a big factor in the 2016 GOP presidential primary, perhaps making it harder for Republicans to address the issue and with it, their problem with Latinos heading into another national election.

In an interview with NPRs Steve Inskeep that was published this morning, President Obama stirred the pot further. He said nativist elements within the GOP were holding up action, noting that his recent executive actions on deportations pose a challenge for Republicans who do want to act but dont want to take on those nativists:

The question then becomes, by me having taken these actions, does that spur those voices in the Republican Party who I think genuinely believe immigration is good for our country? Does it spur them to work once again with Democrats and my administration to get a reasonable piece of legislation done?

Or does it simply solidify what I do think is a nativist trend in parts of the Republican Party? And if its the latter, then probably were not going to get much more progress done, and itll be a major debate in the next presidential election.

A new CNN poll illustrates the depth of this divide among Republicans and the degree to which it could loom in the coming GOP presidential primary. The poll finds that among Republicans, Jeb Bush leads all the other hopefuls.

But note the findings on immigration: A plurality of Republicans (35 percent) say they are less likely to vote for Bush because he has supported plans to legalize some undocumented immigrants. And an even larger plurality of Republicans (42 percent) say they are less likely to support him because he declared that undocumented immigrants are driven by an act of love that shows concern for their families.

Bush, you will recall, stirred up a big debate among Republicans when he outlandishly suggested that many undocumented immigrants, while undeniably lawbreakers, are in a morally complex situation (they are trying to better the lives of themselves and their families) and just might have something to contribute to American society. This is apparently a liability among a large swath of GOP voters.

Now, its worth noting that those saying they are less likely to support Bush still represent a minority of Republicans overall. But as weve seen, GOP primary candidates tend to talk to that conservative minority.

As Ive argued before, we shouldnt dismiss the views of Republicans who are unable to support legalization. This isnt necessarily nativism. For many, rewarding lawbreakers (even if their plights are morally complex) violates fundamental principles of fairness, precluding acceptance of amnesty in any form. But this polling is a reminder that among many Republicans, opposition to legalization of any kind remains in force the primary obstacle to any kind of reform compromise that both parties might support.

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Sargent: Morning Plum: Obama pokes the GOPs nativist hornets nest

News stories over the weekend seem to suggest, yet again, that at least some members of Congress are looking at some options for immigration reform bills. The collection of articles just in the last few days reflects that the GOP is somewhat caught between a rock and a hard place trying to find some balance resisting the president on immigration reform but taking some action before the 2016 presidential election.

The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that members of the House and Senate were working on various bills beyond trying to undo President Barack Obama's executive actions. First, lawmakers want to continue their push to pump more money into southern border security.

Efforts in the House and Senate could translate into possible reforms to the agricultural guest-worker program. Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, is proposing a temporary worker program that would allow up to 350,000 people into the country for low-skill jobs. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is working with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on a possible measure that would directly focus on the agricultural H2A program.

http://www.wsj.com/

Translating immigration reform into 2016 politics, pro-reformer Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., suggests Republicans avoid the Iowa caucuses. Iowa is the first presidential test but the caucuses only draws a small number of Iowa voters and those who tend to be the most zealous of either party. For the GOP, those Iowans who attend the caucuses tend to be more socially conservative who rally behind the likes of Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, one of the most anti-immigrant voices in the House.

Some people skip Iowa. Thats not unheard of. McCain basically did Its tough to take positions in Iowa that dont play as well in New Hampshire. So some candidates may just say, hey, well skip it and move on, Flake said. And frankly a lot of Republicans appreciate those who come there and say, Im sorry, I just dont agree with Steve King or other voices on this issue.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., spoke Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that the GOP risks losing the White House in 2016 without some positive changes in immigration reform. Congress must deal rationally with the 11 million people who are believed to be living in the U.S. illegally.

"If we don't at least make a down payment on solving the problem and rationally dealing with the 11 million, if we become the part of self-deportation in 2015 and 2016, then the chance of winning the White House I think is almost non-existent," Graham said.

http://www.cnn.com/

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GOP Seeks Elusive Balance on Immigration Reform in 2015

December 30, 2014 11:06 AM EST

President Barack Obama shakes hands with people in the crowd following his remarks on immigration reform at Chamizal National Memorial Park in El Paso, Texas. May 10, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Last month, President Obama took action tofix our broken immigration system, including commonsense steps that will help secure the border, bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows, and make it easier for high-skilled immigrants and entrepreneurs to contribute to our economy.

Congress needs to pass comprehensive immigration reform to fully upgrade our immigration system, and the President has been clear he will continue to pursue bipartisan legislation to do that. But in the meantime, the President also issued a new directive for his Administration to continue to seek out ways to modernize and streamline our immigration system within existing authorities. This Presidential Memorandum directs the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to lead an effort across government, in consultation with stakeholders, to identify new actions that would:

These recommendations are due back to the President on March 22, and public input is essential. Thats why the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security recently released a Request for Information in the Federal Register, to give the public an opportunity to inform the Administrations next steps in modernizing our immigration system. Our goal is to ensure that we have thorough input from all stakeholders: employers, visa applicants, policy advocates, and the public at large.

We want to hear from you. What are the most important policy and operational changes that would improve the processing of visas at our embassies and consulates abroad, the processing of visa-related paperwork here in the United States, and the experience of visa-holders arriving at our ports of entry? What new actions would bolster protections for workers? What are the most effective ways to improve the system for immigration pathways based on family relationships, employment, humanitarian relief, and investment?

Please visit the full Request for Information to see the complete list of questions, along with instructions on how to submit your comments and recommendations by January 29, 2015. You may respond to any or all of the focused questions, or simply submit your general comments.

America needs a 21st century immigration system that supports a growing economy, and that lives up to our heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. Acting within his legal authority, the President is taking important steps to fix our immigration system as much as he can, and we look forward to your recommendations for what improvements would make the biggest difference.

As the President acts, hell continue to work with Congress on a bipartisan bill -- like the one passed by the Senate more than a year ago -- that will provide a more comprehensive solution to fix our broken immigration system. In the meantime, we can continue to make significant improvements by following through on the Presidents actions, so I hope you will take this opportunity to weigh in with your recommendations.

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What Additional Steps Can We Take to Improve Our Immigration System?

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