The fate of comprehensive immigration reform is still, somewhat, in the air. House Speaker John Boehner is adamant that he won’t introduce a bill without the support of a majority of House Republicans, which is a high bar to clear: Many, if not most, members of the GOP caucus are either skeptical of immigration reform on the merits — they view it as tantamount to “amnesty” — or aren’t convinced of its political benefits. This, despite growing evidence that immigration reform is necessary if Republicans want to make gains with Latino voters; it’s a way to show the party’s commitment to substantive policies that help Latino voters. Without reform, immigration remains on the table as the issue that defines Latino political identity, which places the GOP at a distinct disadvantage to the Democratic Party.
It’s why the fundraising core of the Republican Party remains committed to passing the bill. They correctly see immigration as an issue that needs to be off the agenda if Republicans are ever going to make inroads with Latinos and other immigrants, like Asian Americans (who also trend Democratic). Indeed, as the New York Times reports, more than 100 “big name” GOP donors have signed a letter urging House Republicans to support an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws:
The letter, which calls for “legal status” for the 11 million immigrants here illegally, begins with a simple appeal: “We write to urge you to take action to fix our broken immigration system....
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