The year 2009 has brought many changes to the U.S. immigration-reform scene. Most significantly, last January saw George W. Bush hand over the reins of power to Barack Obama, who vows to carry out comprehensive immigration reform.

Bush, who received 40% of the Latino vote, confessed in a farewell press conference at the White House on January 12 that one of his biggest political mistakes was not persevering in immigration reform. Bush expressed worries that the Republicans, following electoral defeat, would become less open to change on the immigration front. In past immigration debates, Bush said, the Republican Party gave the unfortunate impression of being anti-immigrant.

Obama, who received 64% of the Latino vote, made the following election promise to the World Journal: "I am committed to reviving immigration reform in my first year as president. I support a system that secures our borders, cracks down on employers that hire undocumented immigrants to keep wages down, helps communities hit hardest by this problem, and requires the 12 million undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows, pay a fine, pay taxes, learn English, and get in the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens."

Expanding health insurance for children

Last February, Congress approved an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, aiming to bring 4.1 million children from poor families without health insurance under the umbrella of government coverage. The new bill lifted a restriction which excluded immigrants who had lived less than five years in the country, allowing all children and pregnant women who legally immigrated to the U.S. to benefit.

After Obama took office, the frequency of surprise immigration inspections in workplaces diminished. But the Administration broadened Section 287(g), a memorandum between federal and local governments, allowing local law enforcement agencies direct access to immigration data.

The federal government also required this year that employers use the E-Verify system to check the immigration status of job applicants.

In Congress, Chuck Schumer succeeded the ailing Ted Kennedy as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security. And when Arlen Specter, formerly the top-ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, went over to the Democratic Party, he was replaced by the immigration hard-liner Jeff Sessions. These two developments have hindered bipartisan cooperation on immigration reform.

Protesting deportation

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has been dogged in its efforts for immigration reform, never letting the President forget his campaign promises. Last year, between February and March, Obama's friend and fellow Chicagoite Luis Guiterrez (Democrat, of Illinois), chair of the Hispanic Caucus, who recently proposed a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the House, held several dozen "family reunions" in different cities across the country to protest deportation of illegal immigrants and get the coals hot for immigration reform.

A grand plan for immigration reform

When Obama discussed the plan for immigration reform with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus last March, he promised that within the year he would push forward a reform bill. On June 25th he held a meeting with congressmen at the White House to discuss immigration reform, and put Janet Napolitano, head of the Department of Homeland Security, in charge of coordinating the government's efforts.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a strong proponent of immigration reform, has stressed that an immigration bill should go first through the Senate, which is the bigger hurdle.

Senator Chuck Schumer has held some hearings and described the principles on which he wants a reform bill to be built, but at present, the time does not seem right for comprehensive immigration reform.

Senator Joe Wilson ignited the immigration powder-keg once again when he shouted, "You lie!" in response to Obama's statement, during a speech to Congress this September, that illegal immigrants would not receive coverage under his health care plan. The resulting uproar ensured that no provision for illegal immigrants was made in the Congressional bill.

Another major victory on the immigrant front this year was the resignation of Lou Dobbs, CNN anchor and longtime thorn-in-the-side for the immigrant community.

Several days later, Napolitano announced that the U.S. had already strengthened border security and cracked down on employers of illegal immigrants, causing the flow of illegal immigrants to greatly decrease. She said there was hope of getting reform off the ground in the coming year.

And in mid-December, Gutierrez put forth the long-awaited CIR ASAP bill (Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity), hoping to open up debate at last.

Surprisingly, the 2010 fiscal year quota for H1B visas for foreign laborers was not met until late December, indicating that demand for H1Bs was not as hot as in past years. The recession, plus stricter examinations by U.S. Immigration Services and the Department of Labor, may account for this change.

While the economy remains mired in recession and Obama's approval continues to fall, debate has intensified over the health care reform bill. Prospects do not look good for immigration reform. Randy Johnson, senior vice president and head of labor, immigrant, and employee benefits at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says that comprehensive immigration reform will not have a chance until the next session of Congress in 2011.

Slim chances for reform this year

Though hopes for immigration reform in the coming year are dimming, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Democrat, of Nebraska), may still take a desperate swing at it, in hopes of securing his own Senate seat. Former USCIS director Doris Meissner predicts that the Senate version of the immigration bill will come out at the beginning of this year, and the relevant committees will commence hearings and debate. But few are optimistic about the chances of achieving comprehensive immigration reform this year.