Immigration reform in August: Why now?

Immigration reform is a term used in political discussion regarding changes to current immigration policy of a country. In its strict definition, "reform " means to change into an improved form or condition, by amending or removing faults or abuses. In the political sense, immigration reform may include promoted, expanded, or open immigration, as well as reduced or eliminated immigration.
Immigration reform in the United States:
This term is also widely used to describe proposals to increase legal immigration while decreasing illegal immigration, such as the guest worker proposal supported by George W. Bush. Illegal immigration is a controversial issue in the United States. Proponents of greater immigration enforcement argue that illegal immigrants cost taxpayers an estimated $338.3 billion dollars and jeopardize the safety of law enforcement officials and citizens, especially along the Mexican border.Former Mexican president, Vicente Fox, writes that in 2001, President George W. Bush, and the leadership of both parties of Congress were about to pass significant immigration reform legislation benefiting Mexican emigration to the U.S., but then the terrorists attacked.
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 made it illegal to hire or recruit illegal immigrants.
In 2006, the U.S House of Representatives passed the Border Protection, Anti-terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, and in 2006 the U.S. Senate passed the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. Neither bill became law because their differences could not be reconciled in conference committee. The legislative negotiations and national activism behind immigration reform from 2001-2007 is the subject of 12-part documentary film series How Democracy Works Now.In 2009 the immigration reform became a hot topic, since the Barack Obama administration recently signaled interest in beginning a discussion on comprehensive immigration reform before year's end. The proposed comprehensive immigration reform plan had as its goal bipartisan support and includes six sections designed to have "something for everyone." These six sections are:  to fix border enforcement,  “interior enforcement,” such as preventing visa overstays,  preventing people from working without a work permit,  creating a committee to adapt the number of visas available to changing economic times,  an 'amnesty' type of program to legalize undocumented immigrants, and  programs to help immigrants adjust to life in the United States.A 2010 academic study has shown that when immigration issues receive national media attention, established residents living in places that have seen influx of new immigrants suddenly become much more politicized against immigration. This suggests that it is not the influx of new residents or new proximity to established residents that stir anti-immigrant sentiments; rather, resentment is spurred by the heated and prominent nature of the debate itself. The study, done by Georgetown University and published in the American Political Science Review, “Politicized Places: Explaining Where and When Immigrants Provoke Local Opposition,” examined more than twelve different surveys relating to immigration and local anti-immigration ordinances, spanning the years 1992 to 2009. During a period of high national attention to immigration, anti-immigration attitudes among established residents in fast-changing counties increase by 9.9%. The study’s author states that ethnic and racial surroundings appear to affect Americans’ political attitudes far less than previously thought: “Those who live near larger proportions of immigrants do not consistently exhibit more negative attitudes.” Rather, the author concludes, “day-to-day encounters can be shaped by salient national issues.
Immigration reform in August: Why now?
Washington (CNN) -- It's late August. Would you rather hit the beach or discuss immigration reform?
The White House seems to be betting on the former, slipping out news of a major shift in the federal government's approach to illegal immigrants at a time when most Americans traditionally hit the road for summer vacation.As President Barack Obama packed his bags for Martha's Vineyard this week, the Department of Homeland Security announced its intention to individually review roughly 300,000 pending deportation cases in federal immigration courts. Lower-priority cases -- those not involving individuals considered violent or otherwise dangerous -- will be suspended.Administration officials call it a matter of prioritizing cases and allocating scarce resources more efficiently. Critics call it backdoor amnesty, a way to push through policy changes that conservatives in Congress would never agree to.This much is clear: The fate of America's roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants remains a polarizing issue. Politically, the timing of the administration's announcement is as relevant as the substance.Both the nature and timing of the decision suggest that presidential politics is at play here," said Wendy Schiller, a Brown University political scientist. "Obama has lost ground with his liberal base ... and he absolutely needs strong support in states with large Hispanic populations to keep the White House for four more years."But right now, she noted, "Congress is out of town so no one is in D.C. to criticize the decision." By having Cabinet and other administration officials quietly announce the change, Obama "avoids the photo and speech visual that Republicans (could otherwise) use against him in the 2012 campaign on this issue."
Administrations "do have a tendency to release controversial news in a way that may not generate as much coverage as it might otherwise," said Bill Mayer, a Northeastern University political scientist.
Analysts note that Obama won several Western states in 2008 -- including Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona -- partly on the rising power of Latino voters, a constituency that pays close attention to the immigration issue. Democratic strategists believe the Hispanic vote might also help put traditionally Republican Arizona in play next year.For the Latino community, this is a very important action, and people are going to be watching very closely what happens in the implementation," said Clarissa Martinez, a spokeswoman for the National Council of La Raza, a major Hispanic civil rights organization.It creates an opening for members of any party that want to speak on a rational approach to immigration policy," she told CNN. "We would hope that there are folks on the Republican side that don't leave (this) platform ... to the president.Key Republicans don't see it that way. Republican leaders have used immigration in the past to fire up conservative voters opposed to any form of leniency for people in the country illegally. Some analysts believe that if Democrats push too hard, too fast on immigration, particularly in tough economic times, it could push swing voters to the GOP.The Obama administration "has resorted to implementing its plans via executive fiat," Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said Thursday. "Those of us who truly care about the rule of law will remember the president's actions."Brewer signed a state law last year requiring local law enforcement in Arizona to apprehend and help deport illegal immigrants, among other things. The U.S. Justice Department sued, arguing that only the federal government has that authority.Earlier this year, a three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Justice officials and against Brewer.Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, and Utah have passed similar laws, but those measures have also been put on hold, according to Martinez.At the moment, most voters appear to be tuning out the immigration debate. A CNN/ORC International poll conducted earlier this month showed only 4% of voters consider illegal immigration the most important issue facing the country. An overwhelming majority -- 60% -- cited the economy as the top issue, followed by the deficit at 16%.But precisely because of the shaky economy, the immigration issue could quickly flare up again.There are some blue collar workers and people who are less well off who think immigration is hurting them," said Mayer. If those people start to focus on the issue, he argued, revising federal policies in the dog days of August won't keep the matter on the sidelines.This kind of (policy rollout) may have worked 30 years ago," Mayer said. "But given the way the media has developed, people on the other side will still be able to respond via talk radio and cable television and blogs."