Obama’s Wink

Even Romney may support the president’s decision to suspend deportations.

While clearly based on electoral considerations, this does not diminish the importance of Obama’s decision to suspend the deportation of young undocumented immigrants, mainly Latinos, 70 percent of whom were born in Mexico. This gesture may allow the president to recover ground lost among Hispanic Americans in time for his re-election in November, as his poll results worsen because of lack of improvement in economic growth and employment.

Between 800,000 and 1.4 million undocumented immigrants aged 30 and under live in the United States, where they arrived as children. Their situation was truly uncomfortable; while they had the right to basic education, they were not able to obtain driver’s licenses, university scholarships or formal work contracts, and were subject to deportation. The executive order means that these young people can now remain in the U.S. without fear, and with a greater degree of normalcy.

Obama has shown a certain ambivalence on the issue of illegal immigration. Although 2 million foreigners have gotten citizenship during his presidency, he has presided over the greatest number of deportations of any president since the mid-20th century: 1.1 million. This toughness has awakened suspicion among Hispanics who supported him in 2008.

The importance of this gesture on the presidential campaign is reflected in the reaction of Republican rival Mitt Romney, has been so lukewarm as to indicate he may even come to support it. Compared to the 2 percent of the electorate that Hispanics comprised 15 years ago, in 2008 they made up 9 percent, and their numbers are still growing. However, according to some polls, more Hispanics are concerned with health, education and jobs, while fewer place primary importance on issues of immigration.