WASHINGTON – With House Speaker Paul Ryan’s announcement that Congress won’t consider immigration reform until after the elections, immigration advocates have switched tactics from Capitol Hill lobbying to increasing voter turnout to ensure that contributions don’t wither.
In a blog published by USA Today, Ryan said, “The House of Representatives will not vote on comprehensive immigration legislation as long as President Obama is in office.” Republicans are angry that Obama used executive orders to allow undocumented immigrants to remain in the country after Congress shot down his immigration reform proposal.
Groups like the National Council of La Raza were concerned that Ryan’s announcement would prompt supporters to stop writing checks so they focused instead on the 2016 congressional and presidential elections to maintain their fundraising efforts, said Laura Vasquez, senior immigration legislative analyst for La Raza’s Immigration Policy Project.
Hispanics “are certainly motivated in terms of wanting to participate in nonpartisan voter registration drives to make sure we are reaching folks,” said Vasquez.
“Folks are motivated and want to make sure their response is felt” in support of pro-reform candidates.
While the Pew Research Center reported the number of Latino voters rose from 2008 to 2012, only 11.2 million voted in 2012 out of 23.3 million eligible Latino voters.
Mi Familia Vota, another immigration reform advocacy group, is following the same path as La Raza to avoid having Ryan’s comments dampen their fundraising and outreach efforts.
Spokesman Felipe Benitez said his group has told donors and members that voter registration drives will have a bigger payoff this year than trying to lobby Congress.
“We need to continue making sure that the future of our community is in our hands and the only way to do it is by participating and voting and making sure we pass our voice to the ballots,” Benitez said.
But a leading anti-immigration group said Ryan’s decision to kill immigration reform legislation has increased its fundraising capabilities.
Federation for Immigration Reform President Dan Stein said supporters believe a recent appeals court ruling to strike down Obama’s executive orders combined with Ryan’s announcement show a trend in their favor.
A U.S. Court of Appeals in Texas ruled against Obama’s order to protect millions of undocumented immigrants. It is expected that the administration will take the case to the Supreme Court.
“In the light of the court decision the other day, a lot of people actually feel like we are making some progress. Fundraising is going along just fine,” Stein said.
“A lot of our donors are very concerned about our president’s exertion of unlimited authority,” he said.