Good news! Tuesday afternoon, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill, S.744, passed the first vote, motion to proceed on the Senate floor with a vote of 84-15.

The overwhelming bipartisan support gives hope that the bill will pass in the Senate, but some republican Senators have made it clear that they will not support the bill unless amendments are made. Senator McConnell, for example, would like to increase border security even more, and amend some of the internal enforcement policies outlined in the bill.

So what’s next? The Senate will spend the next month debating and amending the bill and it is expected that the final vote will be in early July. If it passes the Senate, it will move to the House of Representatives where it may face more challenges. Not only is it more important that the bill gain more GOP support to survive the republican-led House, but also some representatives of the House have already shown opposition to the Senate bill.

The theme of the immigration reform debate appears to be compromise. We are hoping our Congressmen will be able to do this so we can improve the current immigration system. President Obama stated yesterday in his speech before the Senate vote, that there is, “no reason Congress can’t get this done by the end of the summer.”

What are your predictions for Immigration Reform? Tell us in the comments below!