Is immigration reform doable this year?

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Based on our previous post it is clear that we'll be stuck in AC21 hell for the foreseeable future unless there is immigration reform that needs to be passed by the Congress and Senate and then signed by President Obama. Now reform can happen in two ways
- A full fledged Comprehensive Immigration Reform, like that one that got filibustered in the Senate in 2007.
- Reform by tweaking the existing immigration code on the margins like Visa recapture bill S.1085, the DREAM act etc.

The unfortunate reality of life is that any reform especially immigration reform is that its a political game. Now the one and probably only thing a first term administration cares about is a second term. So Obama at the moment is doing the political calculation as to does he move on this now or not.

My opinion is that the democrats in general and Obama in particular does not have the guts to do CIR this year, there will be lots of talk, hemming and hawing but no movement, the economy is bad, Republicans will hammer him " first he sold the country to china by borrowing trillions and now he's selling out to the immigrants". In a bad economy such soundbites stick and there are mid-term elections in 2010. So my guess no big reform anytime soon. There is however a good chance to doing piecemeal reforms like Visa Recapture, so I would encourage you to contact your congresswo/man to let them know how you feel about Visa recapture bill S.1085.

Feel free to let us know your thoughts at contact@ac21portability.com