My Immigration Reform Prediction: Late and Light

Serious immigration reform will be addressed later and will be narrower than some may hope.

The sparse result of months of partisan wrestling over the fiscal cliff portends a reduced likelihood that any of President Obama's second-term priorities, including immigration reform, will be addressed in the manner he outlines in his upcoming inaugural address.

Compromise requires an effort from both sides. President Obama moved on taxes from a $250,000 threshold to one of $450,000. Republicans were forced to accept that they could not extend tax breaks for everyone. Reaching an agreement takes time and requires each side to give, just as we witnessed in the tax debate.

There is no doubt that America desperately needs to pass comprehensive immigration reform that is compassionate and fair to all, enhances the competitive advantage America obtains from being a magnet for the world's best talent and preserves our security.

With a focus on the timing and the shape of immigration reform, five factors are operative:

1. Awaiting lame duck status: Second-term presidents normally have a short window of time to pass serious legislation before Congress picks up the mantle and starts driving the agenda.

One final point is that the precarious economic status of many Americans will make it even more difficult to pass significant immigration legislation. Nevertheless, there is a growing understanding that the world has changed and that America must play to its advantages to retain its premier economic standing. Clearly being the most welcoming and the most inclusive nation on the planet has been an economic benefit for all Americans. Sergey Brin, the Russian-born cofounder of Google , is one of a long list of immigrants who chose to build their business in America . We must all press to make democracy work by getting the politics right to respond to President Obama's inaugural call on immigration. We must pass immigration reform that is true to the hopes and aspirations of all Americans -- those who are already citizens, and those who are yet to be.

This blog post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post and the George Washington University that closely examines the most pressing challenges facing President Obama in his second term. To read the companion article by HuffPost's Elise Foley, click here . To read the companion blog post by Frank Sharry of America's Voice, click here . To read all the other posts in the series, click here .