Protesters stand together as they hold a protest to ask their congress people to make immigration reform a reality on August 16, 2013 in Miami, Florida. ; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Despite a new call by the president for immigration reform, all signs are pointing to a strategic shift by the White House on the divisive issue. After lengthy stalls by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, President Obama has essentially endorsed a piecemeal approach to achieving comprehensive immigration overhaul -- something that Democrats had long considered an all-or-nothing issue.
“It they want to chop that thing up into five pieces, as long as all five pieces get done, I don’t care what it looks like,” the president said. Still, Mr. Obama reassured a San Francisco audience yesterday that the country’s immigration system would eventually be “fixed.”
Does the president’s change in approach suggest a shift in benchmarks for immigration reform? How will Democrats and Republicans handle the issue in light of impending election years?
Guests:
Alan Gomez, Immigration reporter, USA Today
Manu Raju, Senior Congressional Reporter for POLITICO