“Qué Pasa” is our weekly roundup of news, opinion, and links from Spanish-Language online news publications:
America’s Voice: The core of immigration discord
The article discusses the struggle of passing immigration reform and the effect it has on both Republicans and Democrats. The Majority Leader in the Senate, Harry Reid says that if Republicans have not passed immigration reform by August, it would be up to President Obama to use his executive powers to reduce the rate of deportations.
Republicans fear that letting a vote on immigration reform will hurt their popularity with conservatives, which could hurt them in midterms this year. Republicans do not want to risk their majority in the House and their chance of capturing the Senate.
According to Maribel Hastings, the most ironic part of this situation is that the measures Republicans are taking to control Congress are the same measures that will prevent them from winning the White House in 2016. The choices that attract an ultraconservative base are the same choices that push away other groups that they need to win the White House, like the Hispanic vote.
The following article was also published in Univision, Huffpost Voces, El Diaro-La Prensa (NY), La Raza (IL), La Prensa (FL), El Mensajero (CA), Rumbo (TX), and El Nuevo Herald
Univision: President Barack Obama postpones the revision of deportation policy
On Tuesday, President Obama asked the secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), Jeh Johnson, to temporarily suspend the results of his deportation review until August.
In March, Obama asked Johnson to review the deportation process. However, this led the Republicans to claim that they cannot trust that Obama will uphold the law and that bypassing Congress through an executive decision hurts the possibilities of immigration reform passing through Congress.
Obama is trying to preserve what the White House thinks is a small window of opportunity in June and July for Congress to act before all of the attention in Washington shifts to the November midterm elections.
This issue was also reported on in La Opinión, EFE, Associated Press, Telemundo, and Notimex
Associated Press: Cantor critiques “amnesty” for immigrants
The majority leader in the House of Representatives, Eric Cantor (VA), released a new campaign flyer that talks about his opposition to “amnesty” for “illegal foreigners”.
The flyer was sent by his reelection campaign before his Republican primary next month, and during a short period in which Congress could pass immigration reform.
Cantor and other Republican leaders in the House have claimed that they want immigration reform, but they want to do it step by step unlike the comprehensive reform bill that the Senate has passed.
This issue was also talked about in Univision