Immigration Isn't A Slam-Dunk Issue for Democrats Anymore
The conventional wisdom has long held that immigration is the equivalent of Kryptonite for Republicans: If they don't pass comprehensive reform, their party is writing its own extinction. Indeed, GOP officials have been publicly telegraphing their own vulnerabilities on the subject for years, highlighted by a 2013 RNC-commissioned report where immigration was the only policy area where the authors recommended the party moderate its positioning.
But what if that isn't the case? A look at the current politics surrounding immigration suggest that Democrats are facing as much conflicting internal pressures from the current border crisis as Republicans face from their own base when it comes to "amnesty," or legalizing illegal immigrants. President Obama is caught between his base, which has been pushing him to treat the migrants as refugees and settle them in the country, and the majority of voters, who believe that most should be returned to their home countries.
For a long time, immigration has been viewed as a political win-win situation for Democrats, no matter what Republicans did. Block legislation from passing, and Hispanics will never support Republicans again. Support comprehensive reform, and hand the president a political victory without any guarantee it would broaden the GOP's appeal.
But the latest crisis is underscoring that some immigration issues are vulnerabilities for Democrats, too. Most Americans want a secure border and don't back automatic citizenship for anyone seeking to enter the country. It's difficult to find many communities, even liberal-minded ones, that are eager to house busloads of undocumented children. Even O'Malley, the leading champion for the undocumented children, was reportedly reticent about housing them in his state.
Right now, the situation on the border looks chaotic, and that's not a good place for a governing party to be in. And if Republicans can forge a bipartisan solution with more-moderate Democrats, such as Cuellar, by focusing on fixing the problem at hand, they may receive a bigger political boost than by passing comprehensive legislation whose implications most Americans don't fully understand.Also read:
Reid Accuses Cruz of Using Illegal Immigrant Children as Chips in 'High Stakes Poker'
Luis Gutierrez: Obama told us he'll be as bold as he can be on amnesty for adults, but these children will be deported
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