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Politics being the art of the possible, these bills are a legitimate compromise with the proposed problem being tantamount to open borders. If you think poisoning the bill for the Dreamers with new provisions is a good idea, you’re probably as cruel as you are misguided.
Dems have a path to immigration reform. I assume that the GOP will not provide any support for any bill because they plan to run on the immigration issue in '22. Here’s Biden’s path:
The issue we have is that Latino voters did not give us the margins needed to support comprehensive reform in 2021-22. If Biden had won FL, in addition to GA/AZ, and Dems had won some House seats in TX, immigration reform would’ve vaulted to the front of the line. But we didn’t get that done and too many Latino voters were persuaded by ‘SO-SHUL-ISM’ and ‘Defund the Police NOW!!!’ and voted GOP.
The article is about would-be immigrants and temporary residents. None of those people are voters
The issue of immigration is of some import to Latino voters. They are one of the key constituencies in support of reform.
A few more reasons 1). Most Latinos are anti abortion. 2). Most ICE jobs in CA, AZ, NM and TX are held by Latinos 3) Oil industry jobs in Texas and the Gulf are also held by many Latinos. High school drop outs can make six figures. They are economically engaged but not that politically engaged.
And don’t forget that Trump substantially increased the number and percentage of Hispanic voters voting for him in 2020. It goes against Democrats’ conventional wisdom about Latino political behavior, but the human impulse to pull up the ladder once you get on board is a common one.
And why is the gang leader of the Proud Boys named Enrique Tarrio? And another prominent militia type is named Nicholas Fuentes?
The border issue is actually a real issue (although relentlessly demagogued), which Biden must handle appropriately. Russian 2020 election interference should have been yesterday’s top story, but in many news markets, it was the border. It does not matter WHAT Biden does on COVID, the economy, etc. – not getting ahead of the border issue will drive his favorability below 50% very quickly (and who cares what he promised the Hispanic Caucus, his own political survival is at stake).
For the foreseeable future both of American domestic politics and of social conditions south of the border, immigration will never be an issue Democrats can win on. Or, stated differently, they can only “win” by neutralizing it and keeping it out of the news. My realism always wins out over my idealism on this one: the American people are like the hysterical, torch-wielding mob in Springfield – they always KNEW it was immig’ants, even when it was duh bears. Accordingly, they’ll cheerfully cash their $1400 check, get their free vaccination, and vote the straight GOP ticket in 2022 cuz of immig’ants.
Citizen latinos (aka “voters”) may have different priorities than you might imagine.
Read an article earlier today where the Cubans are edging back to the GOP because of Biden’s perceived stance on Cuba and relations. I asked then, as I ask now: do the Cubans not understand that the GQP wants them to leave too?
Immigration wasn’t a front and center issue. The GOP made ‘defund the police’ and ‘lockdowns’ a higher priority issue. That’s in part why Trump improved his margins by 4-5 points.
NO! – the Cubans are vitally necessary to the GOP. Where else would Republicans have found someone to break into the Watergate and perform Nixon’s other dirty tricks? Where would Dutch have found more willing functionaries for Iran-Contra and all the cocaine trafficking it entailed?
And as for the Grassy Knoll and the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, my lips are sealed.