Immigration Reform’s Last Chance in 2013

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill yesterday in an effort to keep immigration reform alive in 2013.  The bill borrows heavily from the bill passed in the Senate earlier this year while incorporating border security measures from a Republican bill passed out of the House Homeland Security Committee.  Chances are slim, however, that anything gets done this year.  With the federal government shutdown over healthcare and budgetary issues, little room is left for Congress to address the immigration issue.  House Republicans have shown little appetite to pass any meaningful legislation much less comprehensive immigration reform.  Unfortunately, 2014 is an election year and legislators hate to tackle hot-button issues like immigration during election years.  It could well mean that immigration reform’s next best chance comes in 2015.