Below are some of the key numbers associated with the immigration reform debate, including a recap of past promises and a reminder of the human and political consequences of the current impasse.
The Legislative Promise
- 337: The number of days since Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) said to ABC News, regarding immigration, “This issue has been around far too long…A comprehensive approach is long overdue, and I’m confident that the president, myself and others can find the common ground to take care of this issue once and for all.
- 106: The number of days since the U.S. Senate passed its immigration bill in June.
- 93: The number of days since Speaker Boehner urged his caucus to pass immigration reform in a closed-door meeting. The New York Times noted that Speaker Boehner “warned about the steep price of inaction” on immigration reform, with The Hill noting Speaker Boehner’s assessment that “his conference would be ‘in a much weaker position’ if it failed to act” on reform.
- 218: The number of votes needed to pass a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who serves in House Democratic leadership, said that there are “at least 200 Democratic votes” in the House for a Senate-like bill. An additional 26 House Republicans have come out in favor of immigration reform with a path to citizenship, and the conservative Weekly Standard identified over 100 Republicans who may be open to reform. Together, these numbers easily clear 218. The votes exist to pass immigration reform in House – if Speaker Boehner would deliver on his rhetoric and hold a vote to make reform a reality.
The Consequences of Inaction
- 118,000: The estimated number of deportations that have taken place since the Senate passed its immigration bill (1,120 deportations per day) – including thousands who would have benefited from immigration reform. By November 2014, this number will grow to over 550,000.
- 3.2 Million: The estimated number of newly eligible Asian, Latino, and naturalized immigrant voters in the 2014 elections, per analysis of Census data from Rob Paral of the Immigration Policy Center.
- 388: The number of days until the 2014 elections. As former Puerto Rican Governor and current Republican strategist Luis Fortuno recently told National Journal, “the party’s outreach to the fastest-growing slice of the electorate will fall short without immigration reform passing Congress.”
