The New York Times is running an article today that begins:

While acknowledging that the recession makes the political battle more difficult, President Obama plans to begin addressing the country’s immigration system this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal, a senior administration official said on Wednesday.

Such a “path” would improve the lives of enormous numbers of English Language Learners and their families.  In addition, the debate over immigration reform will provide countless classroom opportunities for student engagement, civic learning, and English-language development.