Earlier Today, Rep. Luis Gutierrez introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009, or "CIR ASAP" for short. The bill has close to 90 cosponsors, and according to the Immigration Policy Center, seeks to:

• Enhance border security and achieve effective immigration enforcement
• Improve conditions of detention
• Increase protections during enforcement activities
• Create an employment verification system to help employers authorize new hires
• Reduce the backlog in family and employment immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing
• Keep U.S. families together
• Prevent future illegal immigration
• Provide a program to legalize qualified undocumented immigrants
• Provide legalization through the DREAM Act
• Support the AgJOBS Act of 2009
• Strengthen America's workforce with the creation of a Commission on Immigration and Labor Markets, revisions to temporary worker programs and changes to the H-2B and EB-5 visa programs
• Closely examine immigration fees
• Improve the naturalization process and integration to encourage citizenship among immigrant communities

The full text of the legislation is not yet available on the Senate website, but a summary is provided by the Immigration Policy Center.

What the bill does not include is language for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families. You can read more about this issue on Immigration Equality's blog.

Keep in mind that this is not "the immigration reform bill to end all bills." We should expect to see additional immigration proposals in the months ahead. Senator Schumer is on-point to deliver immigration reform legislation for consideration in the Senate in 2010.

This is it, folks. Representative Luis Gutierrez will introduce the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 to the House on Tuesday, December 15th. The legislation's acronym, "ASAP," emphasizes the need to move this legislation forward. Gutierrez expresses this in his press release:

"We have waited patiently for a workable solution to our immigration crisis to be taken up by this Congress and our President," said Rep. Gutierrez. "The time for waiting is over. This bill will be presented before Congress recesses for the holidays so that there is no excuse for inaction in the New Year. It is the product of months of collaboration with civil rights advocates, labor organizations, and members of Congress. It is an answer to too many years of pain --mothers separated from their children, workers exploited and undermined security at the border-- all caused at the hands of a broken immigration system. This bill says 'enough,' and presents a solution to our broken system that we as a nation of immigrants can be proud of."

Rep. Gutierrez outlined the components of a comprehensive immigration reform bill in October.

Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

The "undocumented vs. illegal" debate has already been brought up here, so I thought you might find it interesting to know that Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor made history earlier this week when she chose the term "undocumented immigrant" over "illegal immigrant" in her first Supreme Court opinion.

According to The New York Times, the term "illegal immigrant" has appeared in a dozen Supreme Court decisions while the term "undocumented immigrant" has never been used. Although the opinion itself had little to do with immigration, Justice Sotomayor's choice of terminology is being applauded by immigration advocates and supporters. It may seem like a small thing--using one word instead of another--but with comprehensive immigration reform on the horizon, the deliberate choice of one word over another in the nation's highest court does not go unnoticed.

Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning, and, as expected, she again stated her desire to work with Congress to move comprehensive immigration reform ahead early next year.

This is Napolitano's second hearing before the Judiciary committee. She last met with the committee in May. Her testimony today highlighted important immigration issues as she updated committee members with her department's progress over this past year.

"We can no longer perpetuate a status quo that is unacceptable for workers, employers, law enforcement, faith leaders, and America as a whole. We must seize this moment to build a truly effective immigration system that deters illegal immigration, provides effective and enduring enforcement tools, protects workers from exploitation and retaliation, and creates a tough but fair path to legalization for the millions of illegal immigrants already here."

"I am committed to working with this Committee to realize this goal and create a 21st century immigration system that works for everyone, including the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security who are charged with protecting our borders and enforcing our immigration laws."

I've posted the highlights of Napolitano's speech. The full hearing is available on the Senate Judiciary website.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images