Washington ( CNN ) -- The chances of immigration reform passing in the House this year were already slim before its majority leader , Eric Cantor , lost his primary on Tuesday . So , by the time Cantor announced on Wednesday that he was stepping down from his leadership post on July 31 , those who oppose any type of amnesty for illegal immigrants were sounding the death knell for related legislation on Capitol Hill . In his victory speech , Dave Brat , the economics professor who defeated Cantor by double digits , cited the lawmaker 's willingness to consider a path to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants as one of his opponent 's weak flanks . And pundits said that will be a lesson to others who might dare to push for reform . `` It is a bombshell , '' CNN senior political analyst David Gergen said on CNN of Cantor 's loss . `` I think it does mean more gridlock ahead , especially on immigration . Immigration reform is now dead . '' Those who support such measures as granting a pathway to citizenship to Dreamers — the children of those who came to the country illegally — raced to put Cantor 's defeat in context . `` Some things do not change after a primary . Even a primary result that no one , including the winning candidate , had predicted , '' Rep. Luis Gutiérrez , an Illinois Democrat and staunch immigration advocate , said on the House floor on Wednesday . `` Immigration reform is not dead . It might just be moving to the White House for action if none comes from this House . '' There was always a short window in this Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the House before lawmakers leave for the summer in August and before the midterm elections in November , legal and political experts say . Maybe immigration reform is n't dead after all . Last year , the Senate approved a sweeping immigration reform package , including a path to citizenship for an estimated 8 million of the more than 11 million undocumented workers in the country , according to figures from the Congressional Budget Office . Though roughly one-third of Republicans supported the measure , the legislation stalled in the GOP-controlled House as lawmakers there weighed more gradual reforms . Cantor had publicly backed proposals giving Dreamers the chance to receive some type of legal status , however he voted against the broader Senate measure . `` Cantor ignored the advice of every Republican pollster and tried to be wishy-washy on immigration , '' Gutiérrez told CNN in a statement . `` He did n't convince the pro-immigration side he was with them and he did n't convince the anti-immigration side he was with them . And he lost . That is not what happened to Sen. ( Lindsey ) Graham in South Carolina , Rep. ( Renee ) Elmers in North Carolina , or a number of others who have made a clear case for immigration reform that is not 'amnesty . ' '' Cantor 's loss might make other Republicans facing conservative challenges skittish , said Stephen Yale-Loehr , an immigration law professor at Cornell University Law School . `` One primary does not determine the fate of immigration reform , however it does make it harder for Republicans to do anything before the August recess , '' Yale-Loehr said . But it 's not all up to the House . Should Obama use the power of his pen to turn the tide on immigration reform ? President Barack Obama has also been under pressure from immigration activists and members of his own party to use executive action to push through reform — especially if the House fails to act before the recess . He rejected any notion that Cantor 's defeat means the end for immigration reform in the House -- a message he said he would relay to Speaker John Boehner . `` At a certain point , issues are important enough to fight for . My argument about yesterday 's election is not that there was too little politics -- there was too little conviction about what was right , '' Obama said at a fundraiser in Boston , according to a press pool account . `` We need to get immigration reform done . '' The flood of hundreds of unaccompanied children crossing into this country daily and overflowing holding centers is an issue that could further hasten the administration to act , immigration legal experts say . Obama has called the border situation involving children `` an urgent humanitarian situation requiring a unified and coordinated federal response '' and has established a group that will work across federal agencies to help address the problem . In the meantime , supporters also want the President to do more to slow the record number of deportations during his presidency . There have been roughly 2 million deportations under Obama , a number that far eclipses previous presidencies and led the head of the National Council of La Raza to dub him `` the deporter-in-chief . '' He has directed the administration to reexamine its deportation policy . Immigration reform advocates also want the administration to make noncriminals and minor offenders the lowest deportation priorities and extend amnesty to the parents and guardians of Dreamers . `` Just because Cantor lost does n't mean that all of those other conversations and criticisms about not doing something about immigration goes away , '' said Julian Zelizer , a Princeton University historian and CNN contributor . `` The likelihood was that the President was planning to use executive action anyway regardless of what happened to Cantor . ''
' Cantor 's stunning primary loss ... was a blow to immigration reform . Cantor 's opponent made an issue of the majority leader 's position on so - called ` ` . '' President Obama faced increasing pressure to use power of pen on immigration reform .