But Obama’s June 15 announcement may spur Hispanic voters in the battleground states of Florida, Colorado and Virginia, said Jamal Simmons, a Democratic political strategist.
“It’s a medium risk, high reward strategy,” he told The Hill newspaper. “I think you risk angering people who are upset about immigration, yes… [but] it is definitely something that can give the Latino community something to rally around.”
The June 15 Rose Garden announcement came one day before a White House Hispanic Community Action Summit at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Md.
The event featured numerous White House officials and Latino political activists, but was announced only on June 15 and received minimal media coverage.
President Obama will be in Mexico Monday and Tuesday at the G-20 summit, likely further reducing media coverage of his immigration announcement.
