On Aug. 1, House Republicans voted on two bills concerning immigration policy after months of inaction. However, neither bill was the comprehensive reform bill immigration activists were hoping for.

The first piece of legislation, H.R. 5230, allocates $694 million to address the current crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border and reimburses $35 million to Texas for deploying the National Guard to the border. The bill, which passed 223-189, also expedites the deportation of unaccompanied Central American minors who arrive at the border.

Meanwhile H.R. 5272, which passed 216-192, looks to eliminate President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by getting rid of the work permit renewal process. According to the polling firm Latino Decisions, the legislation also puts more than 700,000 people enrolled in the program on the road to deportation.

David Damore, a senior analyst at Latino Decisions, spoke to Latin Post about H.R. 5272 and what it means for both political parties, as well as Latino voters. Damore said passage of the bills was purely "symbolic," and that neither has any chance of becoming law, especially with Congress on a five-week break.

"It allows [Republicans] to go home and say, 'Oh look, we've done something, and the president hasn't done anything on this,' hoping, you know, people don't really follow too closely there," Damore said.

In statements to the media, President Obama agreed. "They're not even trying to solve the problem; it is a message bill," Obama said about H.R. 5230, according to Bloomberg.

Damore added that the bills' passage also demonstrated the division within the Republican party between moderate members working with the business and faith-based communities on immigration reform and more hardline conservatives. "You have the nativist, the Tea Party folks, arguing that it's all essentially about border security, deporting everybody, and they won. Essentially, the House leadership caved," he explained.

In a post written for Latino Decisions on Aug. 4, Damore further explained what these votes mean for the GOP. "Friday's votes effectively define the party's immigration position well to the right of mainstream public opinion and further cement the Republicans' culpability for derailing the best prospects for comprehensive immigration reform in nearly a decade," he wrote.

As for how these bills will affect Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections, Damore said it depends on how big an issue Democrats are willing to make it during campaigning. "I don't expect a lot of Republicans to lose because of these votes, but you may see these votes coupled with executive action helping out the vulnerable Democrats," he said.

Damore added that dedicated immigration reform activists will help make sure voters, especially Latino voters, are aware of the vote and its implications. Several Latino activist organizations have expressed their displeasure over the bills.

On the night of the bills' passage, the National Council of La Raza denounced the House's GOP votes as "abhorrent."

Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR, issued a statement that read, "It was an embarrassing and shameful display by people who are refusing to do their job and help the country. The House Republican Caucus today voted to send a message to the president and their constituents, but they also sent a message to America that we hear loud and clear: House Republicans are not interested in solving the immigration crisis and boosting the economy, they do not care about the plight of children and they do not want the Latino vote. That is the only conclusion we can make after Speaker John Boehner once again ceded control of this issue to the most extreme of the extremists in his party and passed legislation that cements the House's obvious goal of making things much worse for everyone. It is appalling that this legislation only passed when the extremists decided it inflicted enough damage on immigrants and others in our community."

Similarly, in a statement released on Aug. 4, Latino Victory Project President Cristóbal Alex vehemently condemned the passage of the two bills.

"For more than a year, we've waited as efforts have been stalled in Congress to pass legislation for comprehensive immigration reform. Now, as the humanitarian crisis continues to unfold on the border, Republicans in the House of Representatives have again failed our community," Alex said.

"The continuous lack of action in the House on immigration reform, the severely reduced aid package that limits due process, and the audacity to limit Deferred Action authority is disrespectful to our community waiting on immigration reform and dangerous to the many children who have fled violent circumstances to seek safety," he continued. "House Republicans and the group of Senators seeking to undermine progress on efforts to bring individuals out of the shadows should be embarrassed."

The statement concluded, "The response from the House of Representatives and certain Senators to this crisis and the lack of response on immigration reform will burn strongly in the minds of millions of Latinos. No amount of back-handed shenanigans on a Friday evening hides the fact that this legislation, with no chance of passage, establishes a bright line on the part of its supporters, against the Latino community. We encourage Latinos across the country to ensure their voices are heard on this issue."

According to Damore, Latino voters will now look to President Obama to make any concrete moves regarding immigration reform. The president has stated he is looking into options he can pursue through executive action before the midterm elections in November.