The Wait for Immigration Reform Continues, Republicans Reluctant to Pass Bill

By: Genesis Monserrate

The long wait for immigration reform is yet to continue, as Republicans are reluctant to pass a bill.

From the time the House Speaker John Boehner stated that no action would be done due to the trust gap with president Obama on immigration, Republicans have been reluctant to act upon the issue.

On Wednesday, Democrats filed a discharge petition for Republicans to vote on the HR 15 vote, a bill that addressed border security, economic opportunities for immigrants, and fixes on debilitated immigration programs.  

Although 149 out of 199 Democrats had  have signed, many Republicans are still needed to sign the petition.

The Democrats’ goal of passing an immigration reform bill is becoming a challenging task and President Barack Obama is pushing to alarm Republicans about making an act on immigration.  

Activists and representatives have started to become weary of  from the long wait.

Xavier Becerra, a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from California, said that the Senate has not passed an immigration reform bill for 272 days, thus urging Republicans to take action and move forward with a final solution.

Besides Becerra, Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader and founder of the bill, is also one of the many Democrats persuading the Republicans to push through with the bill.

However, not all Republicans have opposed this bill. In fact, Florida representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, California Representative, David Valadao and Jeff Denham, also from California co-sponsored the bill.

However, they have yet to sign the bill.  

Despite the few Republicans that favor the bill, the struggle to agree upon an immigration reform remains a challenging task as bipartisan groups disagree with one another.

Nevertheless, there is still a chance of success due to the persistent support of immigration advocates, activists, and democrats who have united to fight for  a reform that will hopefully create a better future for those wanting to live the American dream.