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Senator Jeff Merkley (D–OR), who has been working with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) on a comprehensive immigration bill, does not expect action on immigration reform this year, according to The Hill. The senator’s statement exemplifies the on-again, off-again relationship that legislators have with immigration reform. Below is a brief recap of comprehensive immigration reform developments so far in 2010:

• February: Although immigration reform was a staple of President Obama’s campaign and early-term rhetoric, his State of the Union Address contained only one sentence on the topic.
• March: Senators Schumer and Lindsey Graham (R–SC) unveiled their “blueprint” for comprehensive reform.
• April: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) predicted that the issue would not be addressed until after Memorial Day.
• June: President Obama urged Republicans to work with Democrats to pass a bill.
• July: In a keynote speech at American University’s School of International Service, President Obama pressed for immigration reform.
• August: A spokesperson for Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL), who introduced the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (the "DREAM Act") (pdf), legislation to help students who immigrated to the U.S. as children obtain citizenship, reportedly said that comprehensive immigration reform is still possible in 2010.

Meanwhile, some state and local governments have attempted to fill the void they believe is created by federal inactivity on immigration reform, with Arizona attracting the most attention.

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On January 6, 2009, Senator Harry Reid (D, NV) introduced S. 9, the "Stronger Economy, Stronger Borders Act of 2009" (SESBA), a bill "to strengthen the United States economy, provide for more effective border and employment enforcement, and for other purposes."

In its current form, the bill is a placeholder for comprehensive immigration reform legislation. The introductory remarks of Senator Patrick Leahy (D, VT), however, provide additional insight into the nature and scope of the legislation. Sen. Leahy stated in part, as follows:

Mr. President, as we begin the 111th Congress, we will try, once again, to enact comprehensive immigration reforms that have eluded us in the past several years. With an administration that understands the critical necessity of meaningful reform and that understands the policy failures of the last 8 years, I am hopeful that the new Congress can finally enact legislation consistent with our history as a nation of immigrants.

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