The Latino community is more united than ever. 9 in 10 Latino voters support the President’s executive actions that will protect at least 5 million undocumented immigrants from being deported.
Latinos are not alone: according to various recent studies, a majority of Americans recognize that these actions are an important step towards protecting our country and our families. Nevertheless, Republicans in Congress have only intensified their opposition and threats since the president made his announcement. If this obstructionism continues, republicans will once again find themselves on the wrong side of history.
Although our immigration system is so clearly broken, the president refused to allow republican opposition delay the possibility of action any further. His plan represents one of the most meaningful attempts to take millions of undocumented immigration out of the shadows of our system.
One of the most striking figures to emerge from recent study conducted by Latino Decisions is that one in three Latino voters personally knows an undocumented immigrant. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that nearly 90% of Latinos support the president’s measures. The study also found that Latino democrats, republicans and independents are united in their desire to see immigration reform become a reality.
Another study conducted by Hart Research Associates analyzed voter perceptions regarding the content of the president’s executive action and concluded that support for the various elements of the executive order transcends party affiliation, race, and gender. 84% of those surveyed supported the idea of granting an immigrant temporary legal status if they pay taxes and successfully pass a background check.
Despite the many benefits that will result from these actions, it is clear that the American public understands that these measures are only temporary. The president was clear during his announcement; all of the conflict shrouding his actions could have easily been avoided if republicans passed a fair immigration bill. Yet it appears that republicans, who will soon control both chambers of Congress, are more concerned with obstructing the president than passing comprehensive immigration reform. Many studies find that voters firmly reject the aggressive tactics Republicans have proposed in order to block the president.
Even members of the Republican Party such as Senator Lindsey Graham recognize that members of his own party are responsible for the inability to pass immigration reform. The South Carolina senator said, “Shame on us as Republicans for having a body that cannot generate a solution to an issue that is national security, it’s cultural and it’s economic.”
Although our community has many reasons to celebrate the president’s announcement, we know that true change and reform will only occur when all of our representatives commit themselves to finding a just and sustainable solution.
This piece originally appeared in Spanish in the Washington Hispanic.
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