WASHINGTON — President Bar ack Obama and Latino lawmakers agreed during a private meeting Tuesday that over the next two years, chances are dimming for passage of an immigration overhaul that would provide a path to legal status for millions of illegal residents, according to people familiar with the session.
Instead, the president and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus concurred that until the 2012 elections are over, a more realistic goal would be to stave off legislation targeting illegal immigrants.
That said, Obama told the group he was not giving up on trying to pass an immigration overhaul, a campaign promise he made during his 2008 presidential bid. He said he would mention the issue in his State of the Union speech next month, a move that Democrats hope might pressure Republican lawmakers to accommodate the fast-growing Latino voting bloc.
“The reality is, we’re no longer on the House side in charge of the agenda,” said Rep. Charles Gonzalez, D-Texas, who was in the meeting. “We would never have had a vote on the DREAM Act if the Republicans were in charge. So we need to understand that.”
Proponents of a new immigration system fear that once Republicans take control of the House next month, they will put together a package of laws that stress tough enforcement.
