Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Coming Soon?

Last night I attended a panel discussion about comprehensive immigration reform (CIR).  The panelists discussed the need for immigration reform, their desires for what would be included in immigration reform, what will likely be included in immigration reform, and the big question of when comprehensive immigration reform might happen.

The general agreement was that immigration reform would be debated in Congress early next year and that a bill would hopefully pass before the November 2010 elections.   Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano made a similar indication of when she thought comprehensive immigration reform might occur.

Let’s hope so.  But judging from the debate last night, there are certainly many, many contentious issues that need to be addressed and overcome.