Although vote counts in some midterm races are still underway, Democrats have definitively taken control of the House of Representatives in the upcoming Congress. This could be a sea-change for prospects for positive immigration reform.
Since 2010, the House has obstructed immigration bills ranging from so-called “comprehensive immigration reform” efforts in 2013, to efforts to create a permanent path forward for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) holders in 2018.
Will we see a new dawn for immigration law improvements? This post from the Cato Institute reflects some optimism on that front. It calls the incoming class the most pro-immigration House of Representatives in over a century, at a time when, loud anti-immigrant rhetoric notwithstanding, polling consistently shows that the majority of the U.S. public thinks that immigration is good for the country and should either remain at current levels or be increased, that DACA youth and other undocumented individuals should be able to stay and gain a path to permanent status, and that the government should not be separated families who arrive at the border seeking safety.
For the sake of the nation’s values and the economy, let’s hope that the combination of new members of Congress and favorable public support leads to positive immigration reforms.