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The new president, Republican Donald Trump, made cracking down on illegal immigration a centerpiece of his campaign. He pledged to build an impenetrable wall between the U.S. and Mexico to keep out the people taking our jobsand to immediately round up and deport criminal aliens. Hes also said hell terminate the executive orders of his Democratic predecessor, President Barack Obama, which looked toshield as many as 4 million unauthorized immigrants from deportation. In June, the U.S. Supreme Courtdivided4-4over thoseorders and thenrefusedto reconsider the case in October. Thisleft intact an appeals court ruling that said Obama overstepped his authority, along with a trial judges order preventing the program from taking effect.Obama had acted after a series of votes on immigration reformwereblockedby Republicans in the House of Representatives.

Ronald Reagan was the last president to win passage of major immigration reform, in 1986. President George W. Bush pushed for a bill in 2007 that would have tightened border security whilecreating a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who paid fines and met other conditions, but it waskilled by conservatives in Congress. In 2012, Republican candidates focused on deporting the undocumented, and the partys presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, opposed a path to legal residency or citizenship. That November, Hispanic voters cast 71 percent of their ballots for Obama. A post-election review by Republican leaders called on the party to embrace and champion comprehensive changes in immigration or face a further shrinking of political support. In 2013, abipartisan measure similar to Bushs plan waspassed by the Senate. But polls showed that a significant chunk of Republicansopposed offering a path to citizenship; the Republican-controlled House of Representatives refused to vote on the bill.

Democrats are more or less united on immigration, while congressional Republicans have been split. To hard-liners, border security is the only issue that needs to be addressed. Yet some Republican lawmakersare balking at the costs tobuild a wall along the entire 1,933-mile border with Mexico. They say illegal entries can be curbed through more fencing, border patrol agents, drones and other resources. SomeRepublicans had favored the 2013 Senate bill, a position that reflects the wishes of the business community. Other Republicans are wary of supporting measures that would, in the words of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, create 11 million new Democrats. And there are conservatives who approve of offering a path to legal status but not citizenship, including House Speaker Paul Ryan. And there areRepublicans whofearthat thecontinued fight over immigration reform risks driving more ofthe growing number of Hispanicsvoters into the arms of the Democrats.

Mark Silvacontributed to the original version of this article.

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First published Nov. 15, 2013

To contact the writer of this QuickTake: Kate Hunter in London at khunter9@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this QuickTake: Anne Cronin at acronin14@bloomberg.net

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Immigration Reform - Bloomberg QuickTake