(Left to Right) Markos Moulitsas Zúñiga, María Elena Durazo, Andrea Nill, and Nico Pitney discussed immigration reform at the Center for American Progress Action Fund in a panel held Jaunary 21, just days after Scott Brown won the Massachusetts Senate seat. (Courtesy Center for American Progress Action Fund - Photographer: Ralph Alswang)

Just two days after the Massachusetts special election, an audience of progressive nonprofit leaders ranging from business attire to jeans overflowed the event room of The Center for American Progress Action Fund. Held in conjunction with NetRoots Nation and America's Voice, the event's invitation was sent out just seven days before as polls were shifting in favor of Scott Brown - the Republican underdog of the Massachusetts special election filling the former seat of the late Ted Kennedy.

The major draw of the event: a panel that will likely shape the future of progressive immigration policy as its voice online.

The Massachusetts special election outcome was quickly raised by moderator Nico Pitney of the Huffington Post. NetRoots superstar, and former editor of the DailyKos, Markos Moulitsas Zúñiga, was eager to field the question.

"Voters are saying [...] 'just deliver on those [campaign] promises,'" said Zuniga. "John McCain was the most pro-immigrant guy in the Republican primary." "When you look at immigration groups, first generation Americans were more likely to vote Republican in 2004. [Martha] Coakley," the Democratic candidate in the special election, "didn't reach out to immigrants. Did she reach out to anyone?"

His comment about Coakley gained a laugh from the attendees.

"What happened in the Massachusetts Senate race was that Coakley failed to portray herself as an agent of change," said Center for American Progress blogger and researcher, Andrea Nill. "Comprehensive immigration reform could generate a $1.5 trillion in additional cumulative GDP. I think Schumer is holding his cards very close."

She warned the crowd that she thought they were going to see enforcement measures.

María Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, stressed the importance of coalition building, but warned against heavy handed enforcement.

"I also think the rest of the progressive movement has to stand very strong and very powerful in support of immigration reform -- whether it's the environmentalists or other parts of our progressive community," she said. "Enforcement has always caused enormous suffering for tens of thousands of families."

However, when asked about the possibility of a guest worker program during the question and answer period, Durazo was adamant that labor will not support a guest worker program because guest workers will not get any rights.

When asked if bringing attention to the viewpoints of Rush Limbaugh, who has opposed amnesty provisions, is beneficial, Nill immediately responded, "holding these people accountable for what they say is one of the most important things we can do as bloggers; look at Lou Dobbs-- he's off the air." The former CNN anchor left the network after being directly targeted by progressive, nonprofit Media Matters for America for his discussion of illegal immigration and then candidate Obama's birth certificate.

Zúñiga was quick to moderate the tone saying, "Sure, you look at Lou Dobbs, but in the case of health care we should have argued it as well. People want to live here- that's not a bad thing... The argument that they do not want to assimilate doesn't hold." Health care being one of late Senator Kennedy's pet issues, the Brown win also ended the filibuster-proof supermajority in the Senate seen as needed to pass many of the health care provisions favored by House Democrats.

Durazo added, "we look to you [young progressive leaders] in how to move forward in new media, certainly, but especially in reaching out to young people."

After the panel's conclusion Zúñiga emphasized his feelings on the issue, "this is the one issue that brings me out to D.C. aside from business." Zúñiga cited his two young children, aged 2 and 6, as being a major factor in choosing what tears him away from his home in Berkley, California, but his passion for the topic was clear: "This should have been an issue we tackled first because it effects everything [from a policy perspective]."

President Barack Obama has slated immigration as an early priority for 2010 while in talks with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts this past August stating, "I would anticipate that before the year is out we will have draft legislation along with sponsors potentially in the House and the Senate who are ready to move this forward, and when we come back next year, that we should be in a position to start acting."

"In the bluest of states, Massachusetts voters not only said no to Obama’s agenda, but gave a thumb's down to Coakley's support for open borders and lax immigration enforcement," says Bob Dane spokesperson for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. "In terms of amnesty, the president has been in a 'yes we can, but not quite yet' mode. After Massachusetts, 'yes we can' is more like 'we don’t dare'. A major amnesty bill is probably off the table."

Nill as well as many others in the progressive community are holding the President to this timeline and believe debate on the issue should take place this spring given several bills are currently in committee.