U.S. Capital

Latinos Spoke With Their Votes, So What is Next?

Jan 22, 2013

Miami, FL (Law Firm Newswire) January 21, 2013 – With a large majority of Latino voters backing him, President Obama was re-elected. What is next for immigration reform?

“It’s hard to say what will happen now with immigration reform. Many Americans know what needs to be done, but the question is whether or not it will actually get done, and not dissolve into a war of words and inaction once again,” suggested Larry S. Rifkin, a Miami immigration lawyer and managing partner at Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff, with law offices in Miami, Florida and Orlando, Florida.

One thing is certain. The large numbers of Latin voters that spoke with their ballots indicates very clearly that immigration reform ‘must’ be taken care of as soon as possible. No one wants to wait another four years and an election in limbo on something that directly affects their lives. Obama’s re-election has given him a second chance to do something, instead of just talk about it. The numbers spoke for themselves – the time for immigration reform is now.

Any political party the willfully ignores the massive Latin vote and their message is suicidal. They carry enormous weight across the nation, and as younger voters age, they add to the pool of eligible voters. This is an issue that can no longer be ignored, side-lined or treated with the level of disrespect that the Republicans handed out during their run for the highest office in the land.

“Romney’s self-deportation remark hit a very sore spot, and the Republicans are seeing the fallout from it. Voters are telling them to get with it and get with a program. If they choose to ignore this call for action, woe betide the longevity and credibility of the Republicans,” Rifkin added.

And it is not just the Latin voting bloc that counts when it comes to issues relating to immigration reform. It is also the Spanish-language media, who, by default of the mainstream media, covers various immigration issues to inform and educate their demographics. They have no other choice, as the mainstream media tends to report what they are fed by various parties, without necessarily going into any depth on the issues. In other words, for immigration reform to work now, the process will need to partner with Spanish-language media.

Working with the Spanish media might be a tough slog for the Republicans, as they came off as being hostile towards Latinos. Judging by their actions and speeches, witness Romney’s ‘self-deportation’ blunder, it should not be too much of a surprise that Latin voters are not impressed with Republicans.

“What is next? Good question. If the politicians know what is good for them, no matter which party they belong to, now is the time to pull together and do something worthwhile about comprehensive immigration reform,” suggested Rifkin.

To learn more or to contact an Orlando immigration attorney or Miami immigration attorney, visit http://www.rifkinfox.com.

Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff, P.A.
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Miami, Florida 33131
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