House Republicans from the Latino districts are pushing back against the Republican platform of anti-immigrant policies. Specifically, California Congressman Jeff Denham is leading an effort to make a path to legalization for the millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States. In fact, he has co-authored a bill that would give legal status in exchange for military service.
Others in the Republican Party are fighting back and pushing to block any bill that gives legal status in exchange for military service. They are also opposing the recent DREAM Act policy amendments and the new DAPA policy recently developed by President Obama.
The President, frustrated by the lack of cooperation by Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform, took matters into his own hands by creating and implementing policies and procedures to give certain undocumented immigrants legal status in the United States. For instance, he implemented a policy to allow young people who were brought to the United States before the age of 16 and who attend or graduated from High School the ability to legally remain and work in the United States. He has recently changed some of the requirements to widen the scope of this policy but the implementation has been delayed due to an injunction granted by a Federal Judge. Also caught up in the injunction is another policy that will give parents of United States citizen children, the right to remain and work legally in the United States. Eventually, this injunction and court case may make it all the way up to the Supreme Court of the United States.
It remains to be seen how the Republican Party will fair in the upcoming Presidential election if they do not recognize that the Hispanic vote is critically important to their success.