There will be many consequences to the November reelection of Barack Obama as President of the United States, but it is unlikely that there will be any as profound as the impact it will have on the prospect of immigration reform.
As one in every six Americans now having at least some sort of Hispanic heritage in their background, the Republican Party will simply be unable to continue to function successfully as a political party in terms of presidential elections until it starts to embrace a much more open approach towards both immigration and immigrants. Reform is made even more likely as two possible Republican 2016 nominees, current Florida Senator Marco Rubio and former Florida governor Jeb Bush, are very strong advocates of precisely this sort of change.
There are three essential components to the impact on US immigration reform. One of these is the illegal entry, which has more or less been resolved now due to a slower economy that offers fewer jobs, smaller family sizes in Mexico and increased vigilance at borders.
Much more controversial is the state of the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country. Self-deportation is not a serious option, but many see it as inhumane to force these men, women, and children to have to live in the shadows.
The least talked about issue is that of legal immigration, with ways being sought to be able to increase the number of migrants who have advanced degrees and skills that would greatly benefit American society.