The latest Latino Decisions column published on the Univision television network news website Noticias.Univision.com, written by Senior Strategist David R. Ayón highlights the mounting chorus of criticism that President Obama has been subjected to throughout the summer. The question is if Latino voters — who want administrative relief for undocumented immigrants in lieu of legislated immigration reform — can reasonably expect such an allegedly disengaged and ineffectual leader to take decisive action affecting millions.
Ayón draws upon the recent poll conducted by Latino Decisions for the Center for American Progress Action Fund that shows a substantial majority of Latino voters (62%) personally know an undocumented immigrant, and that in nine cases out of ten, the immigrants that Latino voters know are either their friends or family members. The LD/CAPAF study furthermore found Latino support for Democratic candidates in the November 2014 elections and their enthusiasm for voting would be significantly diminished if the administrative relief promised by the President last June is not provided.
Obama sigue teniendo una deuda política para con la comunidad latina. Queda ampliamente establecido que el tema que más puede mover al electorado latino es precisamente el migratorio. Además, los votantes latinos se manifiestan dispuestos a castigar a los candidatos congresionales demócratas, tanto con sus votos como con su ausentismo en las elecciones de Noviembre, si el presidente de nuevo fallaría en lograr un cambio sustantivo y humanitario en materia migratoria, tal como lo ha prometido.
Click here to read the full column at Noticias.Univision.com.
David R. Ayón is Senior Strategist and Advisor at Latino Decisions. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a director of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation.
