As they prepare for what could prove to be a challenging midterm battle for many candidates, Democrats have been warned not to say they support “open borders” or “amnesty” on the controversial subject of immigration and the ongoing crisis on the southern border.
Politico reports that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has recommended strategies to endanger lawmakers in an effort to avoid a barrage from Republicans on a range of issues, including defunding police and critical race theory.
The documents that Politico reviewed contained moves to debunk GOP talking points. According to reports, the strategy included the following tip: Democrats should not support “open borders” or amnesty and instead focus on their efforts to secure the border.
This could prove difficult, as Democrats have overwhelmingly supported Trump’s efforts to drastically reduce Trump-era border protections such as border wall construction, Migrant Protection Protocols, (MPP), and Title 42 public safety protections.
Many Democrats also supported a variety of congressional efforts to allow millions of illegal immigrants amnesty. Democrats were instrumental in approving an immigration plan within days of President Biden’s inauguration. This eventually became the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 was headlined with an eight-year pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants already living in the country.
The effort was thwarted by a lack of Republican support in Congress and a 50/50 chamber. Instead, Democrats included various forms of amnesty in the Build Back Better Act’s proposals. This could have been passed through the budget reconciliation process and thus not been stopped by a Republican filibuster.
The bill included a range of proposals to amnesty illegal immigrants or to protect them from harm. It also made major changes to legal immigration. First, the bill would provide a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and Temporary Protected Status recipients, farmworkers, and others deemed essential workers. The Senate parliamentarian rejected the plan in September. He ruled that the measure was too small to be included in a budget bill.
The parliamentarian rejected a Plan B, which would have updated the registry to allow amnesty to illegal immigrants who arrived prior to 2010. This was then suggested by lawmakers. A much smaller Plan C would grant expanded parole powers that could grant legal status to illegal immigrants, including work permits, for up to ten years. The parliamentarian also rejected this proposal.
Some Democrats tried to force the parliamentarian’s resignation, but the effort was stalled when Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), said that he would not support the bill. He had previously dismissed the possibility of him supporting amnesty.
The crisis at the southern border continues with no signs of slowing down. There were more than 178,840 migrants who crossed the border at the southern border in December. It is possible that this number could rise again in the latter part of the year.
The Biden administration claims that the number of people who are homeless in Central America is due to “root causes,” but Republicans blame the Biden policies — which they will likely take on the campaign trail.
