Since Donald Trump first ran for president in 2016, the Democratic Party has changed its own approach to immigration. Not long ago, leading Democrats supported immigration enforcement measures like tough border security and deportations. Today, much of the party is uncomfortable doing so.
These changes help explain why the issue has become so vexing for President Biden and congressional Democrats. Illegal immigration has surged during Biden’s presidency, partly because of the party’s new approach: Many migrants have come to believe, reasonably, that they will be able to remain in the U.S. so long as they can reach the border. Many voters are unhappy about the situation, and polls suggest that it is a problem for Biden.
“Believe it or not, there is something that might hurt President Biden’s re-election chances more than inflation,” Greg Ip of The Wall Street Journal recently wrote.
With Congress having returned from its holiday recess, a bipartisan group of senators is negotiating over a bill that would tighten border security (as well as provide aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan). To help you understand the debate, today’s newsletter will trace the Democratic Party’s changing position. In a follow-up newsletter, I’ll look at public opinion on immigration.
Bernie vs. Wall Street
Before Trump’s presidency, Democrats tended to combine passionate support for the rights of immigrants already in this country with strong support for border security.
Bernie Sanders was an example. He favored pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and opposed long detentions for immigrants arrested at the border. At the same time, Sanders worried about the effects of immigration on workers’ wages.