Saopaulo1's Flickr photostream/Creative Commons

President Barack Obama’s administration has signaled it plans to take on the contentious issue of immigration starting next month.  The White House’s plans are ambitious and could confer legal status on as many as 12 million illegal immigrants.  Obama will begin to speak publicly on the subject in May, will bring together working groups over the summer of legislators and immigrant rights groups and hopes to start drafting legislation on the issue in the fall.

Immigration is undoubtedly a controversial issue in this country, but it could prove to be political gold for both Obama and the Democratic party for generations to come.  Indeed it was partly the strong turnout of Latino voters, generally strong proponents of immigrant rights, for Obama in last year’s Presidential election that put him in The White House.  The President won the Latino vote by 67% to 31 % in 2008 over Republican opponent John McCain.  Focusing on immigration and giving a path to citizenship to millions of new voters while further alienating the Republican party from the fastest growing Democratic group in the country could push the GOP into an even deeper hole politically while doing the right thing for millions of hardworking residents of this country who are all too often exploited due to their legal status.  Sounds like a Win-Win-Win. You can takepart in supporting the rights of Latino citizens by checking out the National Council of La Raza.

LINKS:

Newsweek: How will Obama’s immigration reforms play with Democrats?

CNN: Sources: Obama to move ahead on immigration reform

CBS: Coming soon to Obama’s Plate: Immigration