Obama tackles immigration reform to woo Hispanics for 2012

President Obama will travel to the U.S.-Mexico border on Tuesday to lay out a blueprint for comprehensive immigration reform and attempt to restart the debate on an issue he spoke passionately about as a candidate but has made little headway on during his presidency.

In a speech in El Paso, Texas, Obama will make the case that his administration has made significant progress on border security over the last two years, answering comprehensive reform opponents' preliminary objections to tackling reform legislatively.

Who thinks Obama will do anything at this point that could lose him votes in 2012.


The Obama administration has doubled the number of patrol agents along the border and deported nearly 400,000 illegal immigrants last year—facts that the president will argue underscore that the conditions are right for a serious debate on overhauling the nation's immigration policy, administration officials said. The president will also argue that current immigration laws are keeping innovative thinkers and skilled workers from contributing to the U.S. economy.

To be sure, passing any legislation in a divided Congress faces long odds. But by simply putting the issue on the front burner, Obama's effort could help energize a constituency that will be key to the president's reelection efforts.

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"There's a political consequence and what he says will go a long way in promoting enthusiasm among Hispanic voters," Rep. Charles Gonzalez, D-Tex., chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, told National Journal.

 

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