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April 4, 2014|12:49 pm

Rep. James Lankford (R-Okla.) speaking with The Christian Post, Washington, D.C., April 1, 2014.

WASHINGTON Immigration reform is unlikely to get passed this year in the U.S. House, Rep. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told The Christian Post this week. He also spoke about his efforts to combat human trafficking.

"I don't anticipate taking up anything on immigration before we get to the [November] election," Lankford said.

Last year, the House Judiciary Committee developed four bills addressing immigration. Then in January, House Republican leaders released a documentStandards for Immigration Reformthat included a path to legal status for current unauthorized immigrants.

Proponents of immigration reform were hopeful that legislation would pass this year. About a week later, though, Speaker of the House John Boehner announced there would be a pauseon immigration reform because his caucus does not trust President Barack Obama to enforce the law if they pass it.

With immigration reform, Lankford said his "beginning point" is "every person is created in the image of God and has value. Every person. Every person is to be treated with respect.

"Every person is also a citizen of some country. In their country they have rights and responsibilities, in every other country they are a guest."

Lankford added that there is not widespread support for, and he is opposed to, an amnesty program, but that does not mean there should be absolutely no path for some who are currently unauthorized immigrants.

"Take the 11 million who are here illegally, does that mean that all 11 million cannot be citizens? No," he said. "I think there have been some people here who have been engaged, follow laws, all except for the entry laws, which is a misdemeanor, ... . What do you do in those situations? ... What do you do with an infant? There's a lot of questions we need to process through."

Excerpt from:

James Lankford Interview, Part 1: Immigration Reform Unlikely This Year

If the House were to pass H-1B expansion, the GOP would win support from at least some in the...

Immigration reform advocates are fond of citing broad support for their cause. But in fact the coalition behind the Senate Gang of Eight comprehensive reform bill is fragile and loosely cobbled together. How could Big Labor and the Chamber of Commerce and the tech world and Big Agriculture all unite behind one bill? Very tentatively.

It wouldn't take much to break the coalition apart. And if that happens, the effort to enact comprehensive immigration reform could blow up, not just for the moment, but for some time to come. And there are signs that is exactly what is occurring now.

Compete America is a group that calls itself the "leading advocate for reform of U.S. immigration policy for highly educated foreign professionals." Its members are some of the biggest names in the tech world: Amazon, Facebook, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft and many others.

The companies, as well as other high-profile groups, like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's FWD.us, have given millions to the cause of comprehensive immigration reform. The main reason is that they want an expansion of the H-1B visa program that allows high-skilled immigrants into the United States, thus expanding the labor pool for tech companies.

Of course, comprehensive immigration reform involves much more than H-1B visas. But the tech giants supported comprehensive reform, with its increases in unskilled immigration, its legalization of currently illegal immigrants, its path to citizenship, its byzantine agricultural provisions and much, much more because they wanted the H-1B boost.

For a long time, opponents of comprehensive immigration reform have thought: Why shouldn't the Republican-controlled House pass an H-1B expansion as a stand-alone bill? If the tech people got what they wanted, would they and their millions of dollars really stick around to fight hard for the rest of comprehensive reform? Passing an H-1B bill would be an excellent way to split the fragile pro-reform coalition.

Now, it looks as if that could be happening. On March 19, the executive director of Compete America, Scott Corley, published an op-ed urging lawmakers to pass the SKILLS Act, which is a measure to increase H-1B visas. "There is widespread agreement among both parties and in both chambers of Congress that high-skilled immigration is good for the economy," Corley wrote. "Congress needs to act now."

The move set off alarm bells among Democrats. If the tech people were to pull out, and take their money with them, or even if they just lost their passion for the fight where would that leave the tenuous reform coalition? In a much weaker position.

So on Tuesday, an unhappy Senate Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin wrote to the tech CEOs saying Senate Democrats will not -- no way, no how -- support a standalone H-1B bill. "It was my understanding that high tech was committed to supporting [the Gang of Eight bill] because the industry's top priorities are addressed in our legislation," Durbin wrote. "I am troubled by recent statements suggesting that some in the technology industry may shift their focus to passage of stand-alone legislation that would only resolve the industry's concerns."

Read more:

Democrats squawk as cracks form in immigration coalition

Roaming the U.S.: Immigration Reform and Military Spending
House Democrats Attempt to Use Discharge Petition to move Immigration Reform Forward On Wednesday, House Democrats used a procedure called "discharge petitio...

By: VOR America

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Roaming the U.S.: Immigration Reform and Military Spending - Video

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mahoney;JOE MAHONEY

VCU students walk past a tent pitched in Monroe Park set up by "Fast for Families Across America," a 30-state, 14,000 mile campaign to urge congress to enact common sense immigration reform. The crosses represent people who died in their border crossing attempts.

JOE MAHONEY

Lapel ribbons by "Fast for Families Across America," a 30-state, 14,000 mile campaign to urge congress to enact common sense immigration reform.

JOE MAHONEY

Visitor Kathy Collins, C, of Richmond listens as Heidi Pendergast, L, explains the objects on an altar that represent articles picked up along the Mexico-U.S. border left behind by immigrants making their way into the U.S. The altar is in a tent set up in Monroe Park by "Fast for Families Across America," a 30-state, 14,000 mile campaign to urge congress to enact common sense immigration reform.

Posted: Friday, April 4, 2014 12:00 am

Immigration reform advocates begin fast in Va. Associated Press |

Advocates for immigration reform have begun a four-day hunger strike in Richmond.

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Immigration reform advocates begin fast in Va.

A subset of House conservatives is circulating a Dear Colleague letter urging Republican leaders not to include a proposal in the defense authorization bill that would grant legal status to young undocumented immigrants in the military.

The letter, obtained by POLITICO Thursday, says the National Defense Authorization Act should focus on national security policy and not be used as a vehicle to advance anyones controversial immigration views.

The effort is led by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), one of the most vocal critics of immigration reform that would include a pathway to legal status or citizenship for current undocumented immigrants. It comes after Breitbart News reported an effort from Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) to include a legalization proposal for so-called Dreamers who serve in the military in the annual defense authorization bill.

(Also on POLITICO: Full defense policy coverage)

I oppose using the NDAA to push any immigration agenda, Brooks wrote in the letter asking colleagues to join his effort. That is why I ask you to sign a letter to House leadership informing them that you oppose using the NDAA to push an immigration agenda of any kind.

If immigration legislation is addressed by the House, it should be done so via the proper process, not by attaching it to must pass legislation, the letter continues.

Denham has been a vocal backer of allowing young undocumented immigrants to eventually obtain legal status through military service. He drafted the so-called ENLIST Act which stands for Encourage New Legalized Immigrants to Start Training that allows immigrants who came here illegally before the age of 15 and who are able to enlist in the military to qualify for permanent residency in the United States.

Despite the fierce pushback from the hard-right lawmakers in the House Republican Conference over Denhams push, the policy itself is generally non-controversial. Denhams legislation currently has 42 co-sponsors, including pro-reform Republicans such as Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and Devin Nunes of California, as well as conservatives in the conference like South Carolina Reps. Trey Gowdy and Mick Mulvaney.

Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), the House Armed Services Committee chairman who would oversee the NDAA process, also is a co-sponsor, as are 18 House Democrats. When asked Thursday if he had decided to include Denhams language in the NDAA, McKeon responded: Thats not how you do it. We have a process. We have subcommittee hearings. We write bills through the subcommittees. I dont put something in a bill.

Furthermore, the House Republican leaderships list of standards for immigration reform, released in January, endorses a chance for legal status and citizenship for children who were brought illegally into the United States by their parents if they meet certain qualifications, as well as serve in the military or get a college degree.

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Conservatives: No immigration in defense bill