SENATOR KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON of Texas and Representative Mike Pence of Indiana introduced a compromise immigration bill on Tuesday that amounts to the last serious opportunity for broad–or “comprehensive”–immigration reform this year. The measure is a long shot, but it has the tacit support of President Bush. And key Republicans in the Senate and House appear willing to go along.

Its passage depends on two important players in the immigration debate. One is Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy. If he looks favorably on the proposal, then it has a chance of winning Democratic votes in the Senate. And it’s likely to need them. The other player is the Hispanic lobby, the collection of groups that represent the interests of Hispanic citizens and immigrants, legal and illegal. If these groups merely decline to oppose the bill, its prospects will improve dramatically.