Immigration Reform in 2010?

As baseball great Yogi Berra once said – “It’s déjà vu all over again.” The rumblings of major immigration reform have started again. As major initiatives to implement comprehensive immigration reform over the past five years have failed, we do not want to overreact to discussions of possible major immigration reform.

In a November 13 speech, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano indicated that she expects movement on a comprehensive immigration bill that will include a commitment to worksite enforcement and a path to citizenship for 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country. Congress is reportedly working on legislation that will be introduced early in 2010. Napolitano indicated that the landscape is different from 2007, when the comprehensive reform effort fell short. While we will continue to monitor significant developments concerning immigration reform, we are hesitant to jump on the reform story this time based on a concern the legislative push will once again fail as it did in 2007.  As Yogi would say, “it ain’t over till it’s over.”

Note: This article was published in the November 2009 issue of the Immigration eAuthority.