I've never been an optimist about any quarter-decent immigration reform happening for a variety of reasons, but a big one is that conservatives/Republicans see themselves as The Real Americans, and fear that an influx of Not Real Americans will turn the country into Not America by maybe being not conservative.
There was a time when perception that "good immigrants" were religious and conservative offset some of the xenophobia and racism, but whatever the reality, that perception is gone. The Messicans are godless liberals and they will destroy the country.
