The President has already sent troops to the border. It goes like this
1) Pledge troops
2) Less magically arrive
3) Not enough to secure the border
And they don't go to the places that need them. If troops were sent to the border to be effective (versus a political token) they would be sent to the National Park that is now closed off to Americans due to violence.

In 2005 Homeland Security approved some of the border wall to be built at $10 million per mile. If the US builds a 20 ft. high wall 22 ft. ladders will appear for sale at the border. We're not going to build a full wall, it will get stalled in legal and funding battles - like it is now. Tunnels have appeared under sections that have walls anyways.

I'm not saying this to be a prick, but I think the best hope for reform is to keep the corrupt DC politicians from poisoning the next DREAM Act or immigration reform bill. The second to last time the DREAM Act was proposed it attached as an after though to a bill that would increase abortions and some other stuff the GOP is known to be firmly against. The most recent time the Dems tried to pass it was a very toxic atmosphere in which Repubs were already pissed off weren't going to do poop. The DREAM Act will come up before the 2012 election, and I feel that if it's proposed at the right time and not paired with abortion bills it could pass by a slim margin.

One thing that could hurt the DREAM Act is the showdown that started today. Obama's budget released today increases overall spending from 2010 by .5 billion. Obama knows the GOP won't stand for it, and there is a decent change we are heading towards a government shut down - like when Clinton was President. That would take attention away from immigration and cause a more toxic political environment than what we have now. I really feel the focus for DREAM should be how to prevent political poison being added to the DREAM Act, and not proposing it in the final session when Democrats are out for Christmas parties.