As Americans go to the polls on Tuesday, November 4 to chose their elected officials, reform of the broken immigration system remains one large, unfinished agenda item.
Two years ago, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators proposed legislation to address the estimated 11 million people living in the United States without proper documentation.
But the lack of comprehensive immigration reform also impacts key sectors of the U.S. economy, with Asia taking a particular interest in the software and computing sector.
As our Washington correspondent Priscilla Huff reports, its an issue motivating a variety of American voters, starting with the Latino community.
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Campaigners have spoken out, demonstrated, and even been arrested in their attempts to convince the U.S. Congress that America's immigration laws must be reformed and updated.
Now, the lack of reform is motivating voters, such as Rosalia Fajardo
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"I'll be really looking carefully at who I'm gonna be on-passing my vote because immigration reform something that affects our Latino community directly, myself and I'll be looking carefully for whom I'm gonna vote in terms of immigration reform. What candidate is really going to compromise so they can finalize this procress."
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Alfonso Lopez is the only Venezuelan American member of the Virginia General Assembly and its an issue he hears about a lot from his constiutents.
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"The most important issue, along with jobs and the economy is immigration and the DREAM act and DACA. and the fact is that 56 percent of all Latinos in Virginia know someone who is undocumented."
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"Are coming together on a common sense immigration reform proposal."
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Two years ago, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, led a bipartisan group of lawmakers to propose legislation to address the reality that as many as 11 million people are living in the United States illegally.
Brent Wilkes is the executive director of LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens
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"I think that Latinos see immigration as something that is very specific to their communities , that they take personally and when people are insulting about about immigrants or immigration about the way politicians often have in this country, they take it personally. And I think its a very important part of what's on their minds as Latinos go to the polls his November."
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To keep the pressure on the U.S. Congress to pass the legislation, there have been a diverse series of protests and demonstrations - all intended to keep immigration at the political forefront.
Jorge Lima is with the Libre Initiative
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"We definitely we are at a point where immigration reform cannot be ignored. I mean the community wants it, there's a huge broad coalition even outside of the Hispanic community, business owners, the religious community are all coming together the tech industry are coming together and saying there is a need for this immigration reform. So I don't think its possible for the White House or the Congress to ignore."
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And that's exactly why many think Hispanic voters are energized to have their voices heard - especially on the failure to address immigration reform.
Lulac's Brent Wilkes
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"You've seen that in the past when issues that are important to the community don't get addressed, rather than not turn out the Latino community has actually turned out in stronger numbers precisely because they didn't get what they wanted and they want to send a message."
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Some Hispanic voters feel their concerns over immigration reform are being ignored by the White House.
Jorge Lima of the Libre Initiative
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"The President is the leader of the country, we expect him to give more emphasis on trying to get that coalition, that bipartisan support that's need to get to the reform that the community needs which is one that is actually based in law."
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Latino voters want to send a message this election season
that they are frustrated that immigration reform has not passed...
And yet with the polls pointing toward a possible Republican win and takeover of both chambers of the U-S Congress,
The prospects for comprehensive immigration reform are dim
And that means, while legislation on one facet - such as border security - might get passed - other important issues such as H1B visas will be left on the table.
Priscilla Huff, Washington.
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