It has been well over 9 years, now almost 10, since the September
11^th attack and still, even the whisper of the of the word "Immigration"
sends fear into the hearts of our Congressmen and women. As one legislative
aide recently remarked: "We understand the need for immigration reform but the
minute any bill has the word 'Immigration' in it, our boss will not risk
attaching his name". This week, however, President Obama appeared to take up
the mantle of immigration reform but in a lukewarm way, possibly aimed at
appeasing the growing Latino electorate. Like the members of Congress, he, too,
fears the political ramifications of championing a position that so many
Americans feel is not palatable—legalizing a huge, largely unseen workforce
when so many Americans are still unemployed.  Thus, the raging question: will we have immigration reform
in 2011? The answer: doubtful—until and unless the economy picks up
substantially.

Clearly, the signs of economic recovery are they but they
are murmurs of improvement, rather than roars. In fact, the Wall Street Journal
recently noted the marked decease this year in the usage of H-1B visas, a reflection
of the economic slowdown. Still and very interestingly, one day after Obama's
speech, Congress reintroduced the Dream Act. The willingness of some of our
elected officials to recognize the need to legalize America's forgotten
children—and they are our children, for they have grown up in this country—is a
sign of hope. It is also a good sign that the U.S. government seems not to be
pursuing deportation for our Dream Act kids, our activists, who are putting
their own lives on the line in order to make a difference and to change the
laws for their fellow Dreamers and younger siblings. The reintroduction of the
Dream Act is a small but sure step in the right direction, a step in
recognizing that those who are here are part of the American quilt and deserve
to be permitted to emerge from the shadows, to shine in the light of what they
can and do offer our country. Maybe, just maybe, in the light Obama's renewed
popularity after the capture of Bin Laden we will have
some movement in immigration reform even before the election.  Wouldn't that be a wonderful?