In light of President Obama‘s decision to delay his much-anticipated edict on immigration until after November’s elections, some critics are asking why the president and Democrats in Congress didn’t pass immigration reform back when they had overwhelming majorities in both House and Senate. It’s a good question — and a good reason to revisit 2009 and 2010, when immigration reform could have become a reality.

As a presidential candidate, Obama promised to “put comprehensive immigration reform back on the nation’s agenda during my first year in office.” After victory in 2008, he had the clout to do so: sky-high approval ratings, 257 Democrats in the House and, for a while, a filibuster-proof majority of 60 Democrats in the Senate.