WASHINGTON, D.C. - Comprehensive immigration reform could be introduced by Congress this fall. And while there are no comprehensive bills ready at this stage, some immigration language contained in the stimulus bill passed by the House on Wednesday has immigrant advocates crying foul.
      Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has marked immigration reform as one of the 10 most important legislative priorities for the 111th Congress.
      According to Jose Parra, communication director for Hispanic media for Sen. Reid, details for the immigration reform are being "worked on right now" with plans to be introduced "around the fall."
      "The Senator is one that wants to make sure that immigration reform is taken up this year," said Parra. "Including securing the borders, taking 12 million people out of the shadows and towards a path of legalization and the guest worker program. Right now it's about setting the tone of the debate and making sure that it is a civil, level-headed matter that doesn't use divisive language. You don't rush the solution towards the end."
      Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is unsure that the reform will come up soon, saying that it depends on the White House and its priorities.
      "I think the advocates including me would like to see it this fall, but that is more hope than a prediction at this point," said Frank. "We are waiting to see what the president decides, because it will be to some extent up to him."
      O Jornal contacted the White House Office of Media Affairs for a comment as to when President Barack Obama would address immigration reform. As of press time, the office did not return the call.
      National Immigration Forum in Washington, D.C. (NIF), which advocates for comprehensive immigration reform, sent on Jan.16 a letter to President Obama urging him to take action.
      Ali Noorani, NIF's executive director, said that his organization had several meetings with the Obama transition team and that since the submission of the letter those conversations have continued.
      "We are expecting a move before the end of 2009, but it's imperative that people across the country push the members of Congress to support immigration reform," said Noorani. "The president wants to do immigration reform and we need to give him the opportunity and political space to do so."
      Noorani added that the new executive order on detention and interrogation tactics was a significant victory because immigrants are less likely to be treated inhumanely.
      The letter sent to President Obama was signed by more than 1,200 agencies in 39 states. In Massachusetts more than 130 signed the letter while only one agency in Rhode Island signed it.
      The Immigrants' Assistance Center of New Bedford undersigned the NIF letter.
      "I am tired of seeing politicians using Immigration reform as a political football, and then they get elected and not hear from them again," said Helena Marques, IAC's executive director. "The last time I was in Washington, I was told there would be some kind of draft sometime in May. I am hoping... but I am also skeptical."
      But there are signals from the Obama administration that point to comprehensive immigration reform.
      Advocates say the appointments of Janet Napolitano at the Department of Homeland Security, Hilda L. Solis at the Department of Labor, and Cecilia Munoz at the Intra-government Affairs for the White House - all which are supporters of comprehensive immigration reform - are a positive sign.
      Paco Fabiam, communications director for American's Voice, which is for common-sense immigration reform, believes that those appointments coupled with Sen. Reid's intentions are signs that immigration reform will happen sooner rather than later.
      "Obama made a promise on the campaign that he would take it up on the first year," said Fabian. "Economy is the priority, but immigration reform, bringing immigrants out of the shadows and to have them contribute to the tax system, can be a part of the recovery."
      President Obama has also impending decisions that will signal his intent on immigration reform.
      By Feb. 9, his administration has to take a position in AFL-CIO v. Chertoff, about whether the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can advise employers who receive no "match letters" from Social Security Administration to terminate the named employees, if those employees cannot resolve discrepancies in their Social Security numbers.
      The Obama team must respond to the question of the controversial and often inaccurate E-Verify Program by Feb. 23. The federal E-verify- a voluntary program which allows employers to electronically verify the information that workers present to prove their employment eligibility by accessing information in databases maintained by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration - will expire March 6, if it is not reauthorized.
      However, an extension of the program was attached to the economic stimulus package (H.R. 679, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009). The legislation contains language requiring all recipients of stimulus money to use the E-Verify employment verification system.
      Fabiam believes that Republicans in the House introduced the program, but he would rather see a clean vote on the E-Verify Program. The $819 billion economic recovery plan passed the House this week without any Republican votes.
      Douglas Rivlin, director of communications for the NFI, said the E-Verify program is flawed and that the Republican strategy of playing politics with immigration has not been working well for them.
      "We don't want our employers to be our immigration cops," said Rivlin. "I think unless the Democrats remove the mandatory part of E-Verify that is on the House bill, it will be a problem. Immigrant Latino voters and ethnic voters came out in record numbers. I'm optimist that at some point between now and the Senate [vote] this provision will be pulled out at some point."
      Cong. Frank said that the democratic leadership is still sympathetic to immigration reform policy and that he "hopes that (the E-Verify provision) can be dropped in conference in the Senate."
      "I think that they can make this one die in the Senate," said Cong. Frank.
      Noorani added that 44 electoral votes in Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida went democratic this election, overwhelmingly due to immigrant voters.
      "We have the Republican Party raging a public debate as to how they are going to bring the Hispanic community back," said Noorani. "It is not just immigration policy, but immigrant politics. The political power of this community is coming to bare."