Top Republicans on Capitol Hill predict comprehensive immigration reform will die a slow, months-long death in the House, Politico reports. As with background checks for gun buyers, the conventional wisdom that the party would never kill immigration reform and risk further alienating Hispanic voters was wrong and ignored the reality that most House Republicans are white conservatives representing mostly white districts. Republican leaders believe that getting even smaller, popular pieces of reform will be a tough sell. The House plans a piecemeal approach: a border-security bill this month, maybe one or two items a month in the fall. Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ar.) held a town meeting last week where 25 of 100 people spoke out on immigration and everyone argued for staying clear of anything remotely resembling the Senate-passed bill. “Our constituents don't trust our government,” Cotton said. Private GOP headcounts show only a small fraction of House Republicans would ever vote for anything approximating the Senate deal.