Immigration Reform Back on D.C. Agenda

GOP gets the message that pissing-off new arrivals is unwise

Top Republicans are signaling for the first time in five years that the party will get serious about immigration reform.

Immigration's sudden rise to the top of Washington's to-do list after years on the legislative back burner spotlights how worried Republicans are about Latinos abandoning their party. The renewed interest in tackling the issue, if sustained, would represent a fundamental shift for Republicans, who allowed conservative firebrands to set the agenda on immigration after several failed attempts to pass a bill during the Bush administration.