Undocumented Immigrants in 2009-2010

2009-2010: What about the problem of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.? What can we expect? A general amnesty or mass deportations? Effective implementation of guest-work programs? An Israeli-Palestinian, high-tech type of border fence between Mexico and the U.S.? Nothing will happen or a little bit of everything? What do you think?

Feel free to consider the following points when addressing the question:

* The U.S. has at least two years (and probably four) of an Obama presidency AND a Democratic-controlled Congress and Senate.

* Regardless of anything, there are high expectations of poor macroeconomic performance in the United States and Mexico, at least for 2009.

* Some scholars say that immigrants will not mobilize as they did in 2006 if the Catholic Church decides not to mobilize them.

* To trigger an effective mobilization of immigrants, some activists say that the only thing they need is the right political moment and the active support of the Hispanic media.

* The undocumented and documented immigrants will go back to Mexico and Central America as soon as they do not find work in the U.S. In that sense, a depression is good news for the U.S.

* Anti-immigrant groups are better organized and financed than millions of undocumented immigrants; therefore, it is a lost battle to try to achieve anything through street rallies or economic boycotts in 2009-2010. After the 2006 experience, anti-immigrant groups are well prepared and this time they know how to deal with American public opinion.