My liberal / progressive / Democratic friends:
We must acknowledge this: "our" position on immigration is not popular with the American people (that's generally speaking, since of course many of us have many different positions).
The American people, at this point in our history, are unreasonably and overwhelmingly anti-immigrant.
Certainly it is possible for progressive leadership to change this reality, but it will take a LONG time for this to happen, if it ever will at all.
So: we need to take advantage of the fact that the right-wing Republican President, on this one issue, has an approach that is largely reasonable -- and that some number of Republican Senators and Representatives are willing to work with him and vote for moderate immigration reform.
We NEED immigration reform to be "bi-partisan" -- because if we Democrats take all of the credit for passing any legislation that is seen as benefitting immigrants, surely we will take the blame for anything and everything associated with illegal immigration.
Some progressives are arguing that we should hold out for a better / perfect bill, and wait until 2009 when we (hopefully) have a better Congress and a Democratic President to work with .... but that day may not come to pass at all, and even if it does I fear that progressive immigration reform would be the "Don't Ask / Don't Tell" of its day; reasonable legislation that is portrayed as radical liberalism, and helps the Republicans gain legislative majorities.
So let's ask our Democratic representatives to not give up, and to continue working with President Bush to create a bi-partisan Immigration Reform bill this year ... and once the (new) parameters of that bill are worked out, let's ask ALL Democrats to support it, for the short-term benefits it will create, and to avoid the long-term consequences of taking full responsibility for passing an unpopular bill!