Story in the National Journal.
Democrats believe that even if the bill does not pass this session, the issue will help split the Republican Party. Republican business interests tend to like the cheap labor, but grassroots activists see newly arrived immigrants as a threat to themselves and to national sovereignty in general.
Democrats also almost certainly hope for violent opposition by Republican grassroots -- perhaps the Tea Partiers? - that they can use to solidify Latino support for Democrats and mobilize the community to vote in November. The goal of the Republican leadership will be to contain the grassroots, but this has proven difficult to do.
