Updated 03:57 AM EDT, Tue, Apr 16, 2024

Immigration Reform 2014: Rep. Darrell Issa Says Reform May Not Pass Until 2015

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Immigration reform advocates are looking at 2014 as the year to pass comprehensive immigration reform. But according to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., there is too much animosity surrounding the issue to come to a compromise before the next election. 

TechCrunch reports that Issa, who wrote the high-skilled version of immigration reform, suggests that it may not pass until 2015. 

"Comprehensive immigration reform is hard to do with the best environment between the executive branch between the House and Senate. We don't have the best opportunity," he said. "If we can find a compromise that is bi-partisan on the 11 million [undocumented workers], I think we begin to defuse some of the animosity. It doesn't mean we get a bill past for the next election."

The Senate-passed immigration reform bill is languishing in the House because the GOP fears political backlash during an election season, as the bill grants a path to citizenship for around 11 million undocumented workers. 

Last fall, Issa introduced his own bill that provides undocumented immigrants working status for six years, meaning a majority of undocumented immigrants could stay in the country, and investigations could focus on the deportation of undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes. It was also give more time to figure out laws for the new legal population, which would include a large number of agricultural workers. 

However, Issa's bill has been criticized across both aisles of Congress as either anti-immigrant or too pro-amnesty. Now, with the mid-term elections approaching, Democrats are pushing for reform to pass, and House Republicans are trying to block the passage of such measures. 

According to a Crunch, Gov Google Surveys poll, a slim majority of Republicans (51 percent) will not vote for a candidate that supports immigration reform, while a large majority (71 percent) of Democrats would support such a candidate. 

Regardless, Issa is optimistic that the tech community could use its influence to force Congress to pass separate high-skilled immigration reform bills. 

"As a tech community, I refuse to be held hostage to endorsing what we need, that has nothing to do with these other problems," Issa said. 

He also said that House Speaker John Boehner will bring the House to a vote this year on high-skilled reform, and that Obama has a political incentive not to oppose the vote in the Senate. 

However, there is not much hope for comprehensive reform's passage in 2014, as Republican representatives will be beholden to their constituents in the mid-term elections. 

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