What to Watch for in Immigration - Week of December 2, 2013

After a week off for the holiday, there is a lot to talk about....

Obama visits group fasting for immigration reform - With the likelihood of immigration reform falling each day, some groups are resorting to new and more extreme measures to bring attention to the issue.  One such group, the "Fast for Families," has been fasting for weeks on the national mall, foregoing all sustenance with the exception of water.  Obama visited the group on Friday, thanking them for their support of immigration reform and expressing his confidence that reform can still be a reality.

State & local government still trying to regulate immigration - Recently, two communities, Hazleton, PA and Farmer's Branch, TX, have spent millions defending local housing ordinances intended to regulate immigration.  The 3rd and 5th circuits have already struck down the core of each ordinance, but now both cities are petitioning the Supreme Court to review the circuit court decisions.  Despite the decisions of these two towns, it appears many cities and municipalities are going out of their way to be more welcoming of immigrant communities.

A flood of support for Democrats if reform is approved? - Despite proof that Republicans have been punished in national elections for their failure to support immigration reform, many GOP members cite fears of creating millions of new Democrats should a pathway to citizenship ever be created.  The always dubious Michelle Bachmann went so far as to say that immigration reform is "Obama's number one political agenda item because he knows we will never have a Republican president, ever, if amnesty goes into effect."  Is Ms. Bachmann correct?  Not so fast says an editorial out of the Washington Post.  Besides, if immigration reform is President Obama's "number one" issue, he sure has a funny way of showing it.

Some already looking to benefit from new government policies on the immediate relatives of military members and veterans - Despite conflicting reports from the military about not allowing those with undocumented spouses to enlist, some members of the military are looking into last week's announcement of an extension of parole-in-place to the spouses, parents and minor children of U.S. servicemen and women, including reservists and veterans.  Hopefully this program will work as intended.

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