While immigration reform has largely been supported by the general population for quite some time, within the political ranks it has mostly been the Democratic Party that has been championing the cause.
That changed on Monday as the Republican National Committee released a post-election report, crafted by party leaders. The report analyzed the last election cycle and among the recommendations was the need to launch a new $10 million plan geared at reaching out to minority groups.
“We must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform,” said the report. “If we do not, our party’s appeal will continue to shrink to its core constituencies only.” The report also said that the party needs to be more “inclusive and welcoming” when it comes to social issues.
For the immigration reform movement, it is sure to be a substantial boost to have both parties firmly backing immigration reform. The next step is to have an actual proposal on the table for both sides to mark up.
Groups in both the Senate and the House of Representatives are working on a comprehensive immigration reform proposal. The Senate’s plan is to include a strengthening of the nation’s borders as well as a full pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the U.S., according to a framework released last month.
A Senate bill is expected to be introduced sometime in April. It is unclear when the House will propose their own plan.
