President Barack Obama is expected to meet with congressional leaders of both parties today to begin laying the groundwork for sweeping immigration legislation, even though its passage this year is considered very unlikely.
With lawmakers already plunged into lots of ongoing issues, administration officials and many in Congress say it is improbable that they will be able to add anything as challenging as an immigration overhaul. Moreover, there is lack of consensus among Republicans and Democrats and it seems they remain divided even within their own parties over how to fix it. Increase in unemployment rate too adds to its chaos as there are very less supporters available in Democrats, who are actually wavering on immigration reform. It is expected that the new appointed Chairman of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. would take the point in pushing for passage of a new bill. Republicans are of the view that Obama administration needs to do a lot for such legislation.
Mr. Schumer agreed in a speech yesterday at the Migration Policy Institute, that the key to assuaging opponents was to show that any new immigration legislation would not only legalize the status of illegal immigrants already in the country but also include tough measures to prevent new waves from entering. White House officials do not rule out the possibility of an immigration overhaul before midterm congressional campaigns are in full swing next year. Few officials, however, say passage of Immigration Legislation will more likely come in 2011, when Obama hopes to tap his broad support among Latino voters as he begins his run for re-election.
We are of the opinion that the Obama administration has to take a serious but cautious approach towards such kind of issues as it affects millions of migrants residing in US too.