Boehner says immigration reform off the table for this year

House Speaker John Boehner surprised many analysts last week, saying that passing immigration reform was unlikely before the 2014 midterm elections. The rationale behind this is complicated as noted in this article from the New York Times:

Behind Retreat on Immigration, a Complicated Political Interplay

Why are many Republicans against a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants? This cartoon helps explain part of the reason...

Meanwhile, Senator Chuck Schumer has been looking for ways to get around the roadblocks in the House:

Schumer Offers Long-Shot Option to Skirt House G.O.P. on Immigration

To see an  in-depth look at immigration issues that have come up this week in Europe, check out my Europe blog: http://givenseurope.blogspot.com/2014/02/putting-swiss-vote-in-context-uk-and.html