Senator Michael Bennet predicted in January last year that the troubled immigration system in the United States would be reformed by Congress by the end of 2013; however, despite a number of analysts agreeing with his prediction and a comprehensive bill being passed last June by the Senate, it ultimately did not happen.
In the year since, the House of Representatives has not only failed to pass the bill but has also failed to pass many smaller bills to reform various parts of the immigration system, and the optimism felt by many at the beginning of last year has increasingly been replaced by frustration. On Tuesday Bennet gave an interview in which he pointed the finger of blame firmly at the conservative faction of Republicans in the House, which he says is responsible for the House’s refusal to take up immigration bills because the faction does not want legal residency given to undocumented immigrants.
“A year later, as a direct result of their inability to pass a bill, their unwillingness to pass a bill, our borders are no more secure, our visa system is no more robust, and we still don’t have an immigration system that’s set up in a way to actually enhance economic growth,” Bennet says.
Bennet claims to still be confident that an immigration bill will be passed by Congress at some point, though he admits that he no longer has any idea when this will happen.