Guide to Immigration Reform Chances in the U.S. House

After a historic vote to pass the Gang of Eight’s immigration reform bill in the Senate last week, the attention now shifts to the House of Representatives, where the bill’s prospects are uncertain. We take a look at what lies ahead in the House for immigration reform.

What are the chances of passing the Senate immigration bill in the House?

Simply put, the chances are slim. That’s because the battlefield for immigration reform is much more challenging in the Republican-controlled House than in the Senate, where Democrats hold a majority.

Last week, several House Republicans said the Senate immigration reform bill is “dead on arrival” in the House. They said it is mostly because the bill is weak on border security and it rewards undocumented immigrants by allowing them to become U.S. citizens. It also has to do with many House Republicans favoring a piecemeal approach to immigration reform, rather than a comprehensive approach. But House Democrats and pro-immigration reform advocates warned that if House Republicans don’t get behind efforts to pass immigration reform legislation, the GOP could be digging a deeper hole for themselves with Latino voters.

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