Nancy Pelosi: 'Race' a factor in Republican opposition to immigration reform

theGRIO REPORT - Pelosi's comments reflect what a commonly held belief on Capitol Hill, which is that because immigration reform is framed as a Latino issue nationwide, many Republicans who come from districts with a small number of Hispanic people don't have an incentive to back it...

TheGrio Staff

Apr 10, 2014

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says race is major factor in House Republicans’ refusal to take up an immigration reform bill in Congress.

“I think race has something to do with them not bringing up the immigration bill,” Pelosi told reporters Thursday. “I’ve heard them say to the Irish, ‘If it was just you, it would be easy,” Pelosi told NBC News.

Pelosi’s comments reflect what a commonly held belief on Capitol Hill, which is that because immigration reform is framed as a Latino issue nationwide, many Republicans who come from districts with a small number of Hispanic people don’t have an incentive to back it.

Onlly 84 percent of House Republicans represent a district that has a Latino population larger than 20 percent.

The Senate passed a comprehensive immigration bill last summer but House Republicans have resisted taking up that measure or any alternatives.

Republican leaders have also argued that the party does not trust President Barack Obama to enforce the law as passed.