WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama’s potential delay in taking action on immigration has thrown advocates and lawmakers from both parties a curveball, barely two months before the midterm elections.
Democrats who were bracing for the impact of Obama’s announcement on their campaigns are rethinking aspects of their strategy.
Republicans who were considering legislative attempts to block Obama must reconsider whether that’s the best use of the few remaining work weeks before Election Day.
And frustrated immigration advocates must decide whether to pressure the president publicly to take action, or remain patient in hopes of securing a more favorable outcome.
Obama in June said by the end of the summer, he’d announce executive steps on immigration. But the president and his aides now acknowledge it’s possible the decision will slip past that deadline.