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GOP Reception Still Mixed For Obama's Immigration Policy

Danny Lee |
February 13, 2013 | 5:50 p.m. PST

Senior Staff Reporter

Immigration reform will be at the top of President Obama's to-do list during his second term. (Neon Tommy screen capture)
Immigration reform will be at the top of President Obama's to-do list during his second term. (Neon Tommy screen capture)
With a bipartisan effort needed for comprehensive immigration reform to move forward, President Barack Obama continued to stress the need for Republicans to cooperate during Tuesday's State of the Union address.

Although the president had been relatively mum on outlining how to deal with the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants during his first four years in office, it will likely be at the top of his agenda as he looks to shape his legacy moving into the second term. A bipartisan group of eight senators has outlined a blueprint to overhaul the immigration system that would meet Democrats' calls for a pathway to citizenship and address Republican concerns for border security.

"Bipartisan groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill, and I applaud their efforts," Obama said during his nationally-televised address. "So let's get this done. Send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months, and I will sign it right away. And America will be better for it." 

SEE ALSO: Obama's State Of The Union Address Shows More Progressive Promise

Sticking to the theme of bipartisanship, the president skated clear of wording that could further cause a rift with Republicans on the immigration debate, as he mentioned how an earned path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants would require, "learning English, and going to the back of the line behind folks trying to come here legally."

The Daily Beast's John Avlon described the lines as "self-consciously Republican rhetoric." Rep. Paul Ryan, who ran opposite Obama in the election as Romney's running mate, panned much of the president's State of the Union speech, but called his remarks on immigration "productive."

"I think when you're in the legislative arena and we're trying to get a comprehensive bipartisan agreement here, the words he uses matter and he used what I thought was a measured tone that gives me a sense that he is trying to get something done," Ryan told CNN.

Sen. Rand Paul chided Obama's handling of the national debt during the tea party response to the State of the Union, but he also pressed Republicans to be more welcoming of immigrants.

Dan Schnur, director of the University of Southern California's Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics, said the GOP's shift on immigration is a direct result of last November's election, which showed Latino voters backing the Democratic Party by a wide margin.

"It's clear that Marco Rubio's involvement has encouraged more Republican support," Schnur said. "Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor of all people are talking about the need to address this issue. The key here is Rubio."

Rubio delivered the Republicans' response to Obama's address Tuesday night, and is being positioned as an emerging face in the party to help make inroads among Latinos.

Although Republicans realize the need to re-define their stance on immigration, backing for legislation appears to be mixed. According to a Washington Post poll, 60 percent of Republicans support immigration reform, but that number goes down to just 39 percent if Obama supports it.

"It looks like the White House has decided to let Congress take the lead," Schnur said. "The chances for success are greater if there is a bipartisan cooperation in the Senate than if the president becomes too closely identified with the issue. Republicans don't have love for this president so if the idea comes from him, they are likely to stand in opposition. Both parties do it."

While conservatives within the GOP are generally against legalizing the nation's undocumented population, opposing a pathway to citizenship could put the party at risk of losing even more clout among this group. Mitt Romney garnered the support of only 27 percent of Latinos in the presidential election after a campaign where he made remarks calling for undocumented immigrants to self-deport.

SEE ALSO: Undocumented Youths Banking On Deferred Action For Opportunities

Obama's biggest immigration policy change so far came last year when he signed the deferred action order to stop the deportation of some young undocumented immigrants who have attended college or serve in the military. President Ronald Reagan signed the last amnesty into law in 1986, which granted legal status to about 3 million undocumented immigrants.

 

Read more Neon Tommy stories on immigration here.

Reach Senior Staff Reporter Danny Lee here; follow him here.



 

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