DENVER (AP) - Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Republicans should pass an immigration overhaul now that the party is ending its potentially divisive primary season.
Biden made the remarks in a conversation with a handful of Colorado politicians and Hispanic religious leaders at a Denver coffee shop. He noted that Republicans, who refused to bring immigration to a vote in the House of Representatives, have suggested they may move a bill once their primaries ended.
Many Republicans fear a primary challenge if they are seen as too soft on immigration. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor faces such a contest and sent out mailers recently suggesting he wants to crack down on illegal immigration, even though he has previously spoken about the need to grant legal status to some here illegally.
“They’ve got their chance now,” Biden said of Republicans. “Most of the primaries are over.”
Biden also read approvingly from a statement issued by immigrant rights groups that urged the White House to refrain from acting to limit deportations until the August recess. Immigrant advocates have previously hammered the administration for not taking executive action to cut down on the number of deportations.
Biden was in Colorado to raise money for Sen. Mark Udall and speak at the Air Force Academy graduation.
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