WASHINGTON (AP) — When Donald Trump took office in 2017 promising to crack down on immigration, he was met by widespread protests that filled churches, airports and union halls as Democratic lawmakers vowed to oppose the up-to-date Republican president at every turn fight.
For the second time, Democrats helped an immigration bill reach his desk in his first week in office.
After the election losses, the Democratic Party has so far been caught up in responding to Trump’s push against illegal immigration. But the soul of the party comes as the stakes could hardly be higher. The up-to-date president is acting to seal the U.S.-Mexico border to asylum seekers and deport millions of immigrants who lack indefinite legal status.
“I think Donald Trump has painted the Democratic Party into a corner with immigration, and it’s going to take us a while to get out of the corner,” said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “I want us to act out of conviction in what we believe about immigration and not out of fear.”
Looking for areas of agreement with Trump
On Capitol Hill, a crucial faction of Democrats is looking for places to deal with Trump.
Between the House and Senate, 58 Democrats voted last week to pass the Laken Riley Act, which would require federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft, a police officer or other crimes that injure or kill someone.
Meanwhile, other congressional Democrats said they spent the last week raising fears and developing resources for those who could be deported. Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif., joined a priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in San Diego last weekend, carrying the Eucharist from home because so many in the community feared going outside .
What the Democratic votes can mean
For Republicans, the votes on the Laken Riley Act were evidence that they had found a winning message – amplified and from Trump – about illegal immigration. They plan to continue pushing forward immigration legislation, as well as a package of around $100 billion that would allow Trump to carry out his border and deportation plans.
Democratic senators willing to support tougher enforcement could be crucial. It has the support of 60 senators to advance most legislation, meaning at least some Democrats will have to be on board. Republicans have a 53-47 majority.
“It’s a really critical moment for the country. And it’s always a good thing when the right thing is also the popular thing,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said after Laken Riley’s act expired. It was named after a nursing student in Georgia who was killed last year by a Venezuelan man who entered the United States illegally and was allowed to pursue his immigration case.
When asked about Democratic votes for the legislation, the party’s leader in the House, New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, was circumspect.
“House Democrats will continue to make decisions based on what is right for the districts we represent, and politics will take care of itself,” he said.
Since last year, many Democrats have moved to the right on border security, emphasizing the need for tougher immigration enforcement after historic numbers of migrants arrived at times under Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency.
What Americans think
Half of U.S. adults believe increasing border security should be a high priority for the federal government. That’s according to a January poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Another 3 in 10 adults say it should be a moderate priority.
While most Democrats oppose all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, about 8 in 10 also favor immigrants in the country illegally who have been convicted of a violent crime. The Biden administration has prioritized those who posed a threat to national security. The Trump administration plans to go further by beginning its deportation operation with immigrants tied to crimes.
Sen. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat who won Arizona last year while Trump also carried the state, has been vocal in his support for legislation like the Laken Riley Act. He said he only reflected the will of his voters, including many Latino voters.
“They want sensible border security, commonsense solutions, more border patrol, more customs officers,” Gallego said. “They want bad people deported. They want to see an opportunity for good people – to find a way for them to stay here. “
The search for unity
Immigration advocates are frustrated with Democrats surrendering to Trump’s strenuous border. They fear that Trump can own the immigration narrative.
Vanessa Cárdenas, the executive director of the American Language Association, acknowledged that it was a “difficult moment” for Democrats.
After the passage of the Laken Riley Act, leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a Democratic group that has typically played a key role in immigration policy, met with Jeffries as their party sought to formulate a unified message.
The group said it would focus on measures to keep mixed-status families together, protect farmworkers and advocate for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Still, the group ranges from progressive members to those who voted for the up-to-date legislation.
“We have to show that we can build consensus internally,” New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chairman of the Hispanic Caucus, told The Associated Press.
At a news conference the next day, Espaillat laid out the practical concerns of the mass shifts, from excluding immigrants who have contributed to the U.S. for decades to rising food prices as farmers come under attack.
The event was intended to present a united front as caucus members took turns at the microphone, their promises varying.
“We will be here to fight back,” said Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y.
Then Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., spoke.
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Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report.
