As activists try to ratchet up pressure on President Barack Obama to halt deportations and work on comprehensive immigration reform, political experts predict he won’t take dramatic action anytime soon because of the economy, the war and need for healthcare reform. A poll by the Pew Hispanic Center suggests that even Latinos are pushing immigration down their list of priorities.
The December survey of 1,007 Latinos nationwide said only one in three people identified immigration as an extremely important issue. On a list of the nation’s most pressing issues that was led by the economy and followed by education, healthcare, national security and the environment, immigration ranked sixth.
Mark Krikorian predicted the new president will reduce the number of deportations and workplace raids as a way to appease people pushing for immigration reform. He may push the voluntary E-Verify online systems designed to help employers check on a worker’s immigration status.
It’s too politically dangerous for the president to push for comprehensive reform that includes a path to residency for illegal residents, said Krikorian, leader of a Center for Immigration Studies think tank that advocates more enforcement against illegal immigrants.
But he does think Obama may support smaller bills like the DREAM Act, which offers legal status to young adults who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
“He’s going to throw some bones to the pro-amnesty crowd,” Krikorian said
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