On the Republican side of the aisle, U.S. senators who have held permissive views toward immigration in the past have either left office or altered their position over the past year, Roy Beck, executive director of Numbers USA, told CNSNews.com.
Most of the Democratic senators who opposed amnesty bills in the past will probably stick to their position or urge the leadership to avoid bringing up a vote – at least in the first year of the new Congress, Beck said.
“I’m feeling optimistic about the Republicans,” he said. “The majority [of Republicans] has always been with us, but the Bush White House had pushed the party in a bad direction on this issue and the leadership went along. This will not be the case come next year.”
There are about a dozen Democratic senators who have opposed “amnesty” for illegal aliens and who will continue to be a factor, Beck estimates. Although some may back amnesty now that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has been elected president, there likely will not be enough votes to secure passage of an amnesty bill, said Beck.
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=39633
Obama would be wise to ensure that whomever he selects to head DHS honors the will of the AMERICAN people.