For millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States, the postponement of immigration reform by Congress has led to months of waiting for a decision regarding their future status. This is a burden; however, the delay of the immigration debate should not be treated as a misfortune. The lack of a decision on the Capitol could turn into a positive for immigrants.

Let me remind you that the task of Congress was to bring into agreement two dissonant bills. The radical House of Representatives once forecast a penalty on illegal immigration. Provision HR 4437 could lead to, among other things, imprisonment for immigrants who illegally crossed the U.S. borders, and also for those who helped them.

The members of the Senate had a whole different set of goals under the bill they adopted, offering possibility of legalizing the status of millions of undocumented immigrants who live in the country. Those who have lived in the United States for over five years would almost have an open passageway to obtaining a green card and citizenship.

Negotiations between the House of Representatives and the Senate rely mostly on mutual concessions. In this situation, the process of finding a compromise between the two legislative bodies could have only meant the curbing, if not the complete cancellation, of the legalization program.

The debate on Capitol Hill in the upcoming two months will certainly be affected by the mid-term elections. The place of rational arguments would be replaced by demagoguery, and many congressmen listening to the voices of the anti-immigration voters might rush toward radical solutions. In such an atmosphere, it would be difficult to expect a positive resolution for immigrants.

Congress can still renew the debate during what is called the lame duck season: meaning after the November elections, when the emotions die down and rational decisions may be easier to come by. However, immigrants should hold much greater hope with the coming of the new Congress, where many political moves are bound to take place.

The eventual overtaking of the House of Representatives by the Democrats as a majority, along with the Senate’s generally lenient attitude toward the immigrants will raise the chances of passing immigration reform during the next term. The fact that President George W. Bush is also leaning toward the Senate bill, even though he avoids using the word "amnesty" has its implications.

Work on this bill will more than likely start from scratch, but, in the meantime, organizations defending immigrants' rights have gained the support of many immigrants who have been through much unrest in the past few months. The voices of millions of people living and working in the United States without legal status can no longer be ignored.