A friend of mine—a co-member of the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” cohort—once turned to me and said that just because Obama gave 643,000 unauthorized immigrants temporary relief from deportation, it didn’t mean he was pleasing all 53 million Latinos. With the delay of comprehensive immigration reform, that sentiment seems sharper than ever. If Latinos don’t feel the support of either party, what will compel any to vote at all? But Latinos could have huge electoral impact—in the upcoming midterms and beyond. Ninety-three percent of Latinos under the age of 18 are citizens of the U.S., and 73,000 of these become eligible to vote every month. According to Pew Hispanic Center, the Latino population in the U.S. will rise to 128 million, or 29 percent of the population, by 2050. I spoke with Gary Segura, one of the authors of the new book, Latino America: How America’s Most Dynamic Population is Poised to Transform the Politics of the Nation, about these issues.

Juan David Romero: What are some of the perils faced by the GOP and Democrats as described in your book? What are the solutions to avoiding such pitfalls?

Gary Segura: I feel that it’s too late for the GOP to avoid any pitfalls. I don’t think they can undo their reputation, certainly not for this election. They had an opportunity to opt for immigration reform, they didn’t. I think they’re going to pay a pretty hefty price.

JDR: Even Hispanic opinion about immigration reform is fairly split, some supporting Obama, others not. Does this factor into the Hispanic vote for upcoming elections?

GS: The country is not split on immigration reform. Immigration reform is actually among the most consensual issues in the United States. Yes, there is a group of Latinos that are mad at Obama. But, the people that are mad at Obama, they’re not going to go vote Republican. … They’re more likely to stay home, and that’s a problem for Democrats. That should be their biggest fear.

JDR: In your book, you say that war was a huge issue for Latinos in the 2008 elections. Do you think war still plays a large role in how Latinos vote?

GS: As long as there are no ground troops, Latinos will not have strong opinions. … I don’t know what Latino opinions are on strikes in Syria and Iraq, but Latinos are more skeptical of all wars.