Hispanics are true blue again for Obama

• The president%27s approval rating among Hispanics has rebounded from 48%25 to 73%25
• By 73%25-15%25%2C they favor Obama%27s approach to immigration over congressional Republicans%27

President Obama's push to overhaul immigration laws this year hasn't produced a bill yet, but it already has restored his standing among Hispanics.

In the heady days when he took office in 2009, Obama's approval among Latinos was 78%, according to the Pew Research Center. It had sunk to 48% by the last quarter of 2011, when it became clear he wouldn't deliver on his campaign promise for an immigration bill that would create a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

In a new USA TODAY/Pew Research Center Poll, the president's approval rating among Hispanics has rebounded to 73%. The survey of 1,504 adults was taken Feb. 13-18. (Data on approval was combined with other surveys on a quarterly basis to increase the sample size of Hispanics.)

On the specific issue of immigration, Obama's approval rating had dipped to 28% among Latinos by the end of 2011. Now that rating has surged to 63%. By an overwhelming 73%-15%, Hispanics say Obama has a better approach than congressional Republicans on immigration.

That's an indication of the uphill battle the GOP faces to rebuild Latino support after tough rhetoric against illegal immigrants in past immigration battles and during the 2012 Republican presidential primary campaign. Some GOP lawmakers, led by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, now hope to negotiate a bipartisan immigration bill that will include both stronger border security and a path to legal status for illegal immigrants.