According to a nationwide survey by the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center, the issue of immigration is no longer one of utmost significance in these times of economic downturn.

The telephonic study, conducted in December on 1,000 Latino adults, came to the conclusion that 57 percent of the people considered the economy to be the top issue; with immigration being rated even behind education, health care, national security, and the environment.

No more than 31 percent of Latinos - that is, less than one in three - said that immigration could be rated as "extremely important" priority for the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama. A year back, there were 38 percent respondents to the question of immigration being a top priority.

The concern about the ongoing recession has eclipsed the immigration issue, particularly after a bipartisan bill about boosting security on the southwest border with Mexico, and providing illegal immigrants an alleyway to citizenship, was finally unsuccessful in the US Congress in 2007 due to profound Republican opposition.

The study's co-author, Mark Hugo, has cautioned that the results of the survey reflect more of the increasing concern of the Latinos with the economy rather than their increasing indifference over the immigration issue.

Hugo also noted that though nearly 88 percent of Hispanics cited immigration as "important" priority 75 percent of the respondents considered it to be a "very important" priority for Obama administration.