Top US lawmaker pessimistic on immigration reform

US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said today during a visit to the US-Mexico border that she holds little hope that Congress will pass comprehensive immigration reform this year.
After visiting a Border Patrol facility in Brownsville, Texas, holding unaccompanied children, the California Democrat said politics should be set aside to address what President Barack Obama has called an "urgent humanitarian situation." More than 52,000 unaccompanied children, most from Central America, have been apprehended entering the US illegally since October.
"A few days ago I would have been more optimistic about comprehensive immigration reform," Pelosi said.
"I thought that we had been finding a way because we have been very patient and respectful of House Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress."

But she added, "I don't think he gives us much reason to be hopeful now, but we never give up. There's still the month of July."
She did not elaborate on what had dampened her optimism in this election year. Boehner's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Immigration reform represents one of the Obama administration's last best chances for a major domestic policy achievement during the final two years of his term, and many Republicans eager to woo Hispanic voters back the idea. But while the Senate passed a sweeping bipartisan immigration bill last year, but legislation never got off the ground in the Republican-controlled House.

The Senate bill offers eventual citizenship to many of the 11.5 million people here illegally, billions of dollars to beef up border security, and a remaking the legal immigration system to allow more workers into the country legally.
House Republican leaders said repeatedly that they wanted to get it done, but opposition from a small but vocal group seemed to derail every attempt.