Hispanic vote may still be up for grabs, despite Democratic support for a comprehensive immigration reform bill

image
Published: 16 Jul, 2010
Updated: 13 Oct, 2022
2 min read

Luis Gutierrez, the Illinois congressman leading the push for comprehensive immigration reform, still believes that a bill of some sort will pass before the November midterms.  “Immigration reform is still possible this year...The American people demand law and order and secure borders and comprehensive immigration reform is the only way to get there,” he said in a written statement

He added that President Obama will make it incumbent upon Congress to pass a bill soon.  He also touted that passing his comprehensive immigration reform bill will be a bipartisan effort this year, even if it might be 17 votes short at the moment.  

     “Democrats and Republicans agree on 80% of a reform package: border security, legal immigration, a secure worker verification system, and deportation for serious, violent criminals.  All of those elements are in my bill, H.R. 4321, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act,” he said. 

For Republicans that don’t support the current immigration reform bill, Gutierrez accused them of “holding out for a fantasy that more than ten million immigrants will leave on their own or be driven out of the country.”  Is, however, an immigration reform bill also a fantasy?  Is retaining a Democratic majority also merely a fantasy? 

Ultimately, Democrats want to use the immigration issue to reduce the effects of what will likely be a rough November.  But even this effort to pin the GOP against the wall on immigration has not yet come to fruition.  Polls show that Republicans in states like California and Nevada aren’t necessarily suffering because of their tough illegal immigration stances. 

The Washington Independent offered some interesting analysis as to why Republicans haven’t suffered more: 

     “Latino voters haven’t suddenly taken a liking to the Arizona law — most polls show that 70 percent oppose it — but contrary to the expectations of Democrats, their loyalty this November is still very much up for grabs. The reason, according to experts keeping close tabs on the races, is straightforward: Republicans have simply worked harder to court the Hispanic vote in the wake of the Arizona law.” 

This has certainly played itself out in California where both Whitman and Fiorina have gone to extra lengths to reach for the Hispanic vote.  Also worth keeping in mind is the fact that primary Republican voters in California defeated any notion that they are anti-immigrant in their snubbing of illegal immigrant crusader Steve Poizner.  Voters, while believing that illegal immigration is a problem, rejected Poizner’s making the issue a centerpiece of his campaign. 

IVP Donate

Based on current Republican rhetoric, it will be interesting to see which direction Hispanics swing.

Latest articles

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....
03 Jul, 2025
-
7 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read