Immigration Reform

Senate Majority Leader Frist and friends announced a push for immigration reform next year. So that means some form of temporary or permanent worker program for undocumented immigrants, right? Not! Immigration reform is unlikely until after the 2006 congressional elections. Even then, legalization of undocumented workers will be tough to get. Unless the economy picks up drastically or the Congress changes radically, legalization is just too controversial to get majority support from Congress. Genuine reform will take a while. The 1986 amnesty was based on legislation first introduced in 1974.