Will gun control and the deficit push immigration down the agenda?

President Obama has pledged to push for comprehensive immigration reform early in his second term, but there are many hurdles ahead:

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/02/obama-immigration-reform_n_2398507.html?utm_hp_ref=immigration

and many issues in Congress: http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/01/08/168890345/house-gears-up-for-immigration-battle

 

The contentious fiscal cliff negotiations indicate that Congress, in particular the House of Representatives, may not be able to get to immigration reform this session, despite the many assurances after the election that it would be at the top of the agenda.  The last minute agreement left many issues unresolved, in particular the sequester spending cuts, and the debt ceiling.  The new Congress is unlikely to be less contentious than the last. With the new session just getting underway, immigration will certainly be on the agenda, and the lead is likely to be taken by the Senate.  Gun control has moved to the top of the agenda after the Newtwon shootings and Vice President Biden will be reporting policy proposals to the President by the end of the month.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57562942/bidens-meetings-spotlight-gun-control-divide/

 

Immigration reform advocates are concerned that gun control will take the place of immigration on the agenda:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/obama-second-term-immigration-gun-control-85799.html

In the meantime, President Obama has taken new steps to reduce family separations in cases where some are citizens and some are undocumented: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/03/obama-administrations-immigration_n_2404208.html

 

It is well known that the Obama administration stepped up deportations during his first term, new data indicates that the administration spent more on immigration enforcement than any other federal law enforcement in the past year: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/01/08/immigration_enforcement_18_billion_spent_more_than_all_other_federal_law.html