Immigrant rights groups already feel betrayed by President Obama, who they say promised to relax some enforcement practices and to push for an immigration bill in his first year in office. On Tuesday, 24 protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct in a Chicago suburb after they sat in a street to block a van carrying illegal immigrants from a federal detention center, the Associated Press reported.

"The community has had enough. We do not recognize the country we are becoming. We want action, and we want it now," said Deepak Bhargava, executive director of the Center for Community Change, which is helping organize a series of nationwide rallies for May 1.

He said blame extends to all parties - from Mr. Obama and Democrats, who control Congress and should be able to get legislation enacted, to Republicans, who he said are playing political games to try to protect their vulnerable members.

In the face of rising criticism, Mr. Obama has begun ratcheting up efforts for legislation this year, but Democrats need Mr. Graham and other Republicans to sign up if they are to overcome a certain filibuster in the Senate. Top House Democrats have said the House will act only after the Senate does.

"There's only 59 of us," Mr. Reid said.

You have our President to blame for that, Majority leader. Rep. Luis Gutierrez pressed , publicly, last March -2009- to start debate on immigration reform, as the president had promised during the campaign, and was shut down and ignored immediately. News articles abounded in support of CIR from labor unions, the press, religious groups, etc. It could have started back then, and now it's been revealed that no, not only did you not keep your promise, but you kept misleading everyone into believing you were actively working towards legislation. In fact you had 60 votes all of last year until this January. You think it's hard with 59? Well, how easy will it be with 58? 57?