Will the Boston Bombings Have an Impact on Immigration Reform?

     There seems to be a consensus that it is. Or so both a Talking Points Memo post and Politico article stated yesterday. It does seem at a minimum, Boston is being used by immigration opponents hoping to mount a coup against a bill that appears to have solid momentum behind it-the Wall Street Journal editorial page is on board.

      http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/04/wall-street-journal-editorial-page.html

     Last week, just a day after the tragedy at the Boston Marathon, Ann Coulter and friends started using it as an excuse not to do immigration reform-though it's not clear what one has to do with the other.

     http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/04/oh-no-they-didnt-immigration-opponents.html

      The question, however, was whether this use would be widespread.

      http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/04/oh-yes-they-did-chuck-grassley-ties.html

      Many now think that it is:

     "Like it or not, the Boston marathon bombing and its two foreign-born suspects have become an unavoidable topic in the immigration debate, prompting strong reactions from reform opponents, supporters, and everyone in between."

     "Nowhere was the tension greater than in the Senate’s second hearing on the “Gang of 8” immigration bill Wednesday, where lawmakers clashed over whether it was fair to draw lessons from the Boston attack in crafting reform and, if so, what policy response was needed."

     "Let’s start with the critics. On the more extreme end, some of the most prominent anti-reform commentators and politicians had drawn connections between Boston and immigration since before the suspects were identified last week, arguing that even potential foreign ties should be enough to ice immigration reform indefinitely."

     "This trend continued at Monday’s hearing as witnesses opposed to the immigration bill repeatedly raised the Boston issue. Mark Krikorian, director of the hardline Center for Immigration Studies, told lawmakers that Boston was “an illustration of certain problems that exist with our immigration system” and cited the FBI’s inability to identify suspected bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev as a threat in 2011 as proof that background checks of undocumented immigrants wouldn’t work. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the architect of Arizona’s SB 1070 law and Mitt Romney’s “self deportation” plan, warned that terrorists would somehow exploit the immigration bill to obtain new forged identities.

     http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/04/how-the-boston-marathon-bombing-is-scrambling-the-immigration-reform-debate.php?ref=fpa

     While reform proponents are pushing back-you have to love the way Chuck Schumer came back at Grassley yesterday-Republicans who support reform like Rubio are trying to take the middle position: acknowledging the conservatives concerns without letting them derail the bill. 

       However, a potentially important player in the Senate, Rand Paul from Kentucky, is now calling for a more explicit "slowdown" of the reform process. 

       A good sign is that important House Republicans don't seem interested in slowing down the process:

       One particularly encouraging sign on the political front is that Republican leaders in the House, where immigration reform will face its toughest test, sounded determined on Monday to not let the bombings get in the way of passing a bill. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told Fox News that he thought the attack might slow legislation “for a couple of days,” but that “if we fix our immigration system, it may actually help us understand who all’s here, why they’re here, and what legal status they have.”

      "Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), made a similar case to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

      “We need a modern immigration system that helps us not only protect our border but protects national security and all of its aspects,” he said. “If anything I would say this is an argument for modernizing our immigration laws.”

     See also Politico's piece

     http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/boston-echoes-in-senate-immigration-hearing-90473.html?hp=l1

     For more on Ryan's belief that Boston shouldn't slowdown reform also see Politico. 

     http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/paul-ryan-immigration-reform-90472.html

     I ultimately agree with Greg Sargent. There should be more than enough momentum to breakthrough. 

     "Will the Boston bombings — which were allegedly carried out by two brothers of Chechen origin — go any way towards scuttling immigration reform? Some on the right are certainly going to try to use the bombings to slow or kill the reform push. But proponents of reform are now beginning to carefully push back on their argument."

     "Here is how an aide to a Republican Senator who favors reform puts it to Mike Allen — an argument that’s worth considering, because we’ll surely be hearing more of it in the days ahead:

“The … analysis that the Boston attacks are a setback for immigration reform appears wrongheaded, as we learn more about the story. The fault here wasn’t our immigration system, since the suspects immigrated legally a decade ago as kids and apparently were radicalized here. If anything, the fault lies with our society and domestic intelligence services. Given the facts, the events in Boston seem unlikely to stoke nativist sentiments that may derail immigration reform. To the contrary, to the extent it renews fears of terrorism, it will strengthen the case for reform, since the bipartisan proposal fixes major gaps in our national security posture.”

     "It does seem unlikely that the Boston bombings will “stoke nativist sentiments,” except perhaps among those whose nativist sentiments are already pretty stoked to begin with. The circumstances of this case seem so unusual — and the motives for the bombings, based on what we know now, seem so tangled — that it’s hard to see ordinary voters relating it to the argument over immigration reform."

     If anything, what’s been striking is how few Republican officials of any stature have tried to link the bombings to the immigration debate. To my knowledge, Chuck Grassleyis the only major Republican lawmaker who is not a full fledged anti-”amnesty” warrior to draw the connection, and that immediately was rebuked by at least one Republican official.

     http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/04/22/the-morning-plum-boston-bombings-probably-wont-derail-immigration-reform-push/