This is the biggest weakness for Dems in 2020 - inconsistent and weak front being put forth on immigration. A known gang leader in the country illegally arrested a few times was released by Seattle prisons to general public and because of their sanctuary city policy would not turn him over to ICE or report him to ICE. So he bashes his best friend in the head with a bat and chops up the body. Now we can say he killed a rival gang member, another criminal but that defense will not take away the anger or resentment of the policy that it is ok to ignore immigration laws already on the books. "He was in police custody repeatedly over the last six months, both before and after the murder, and each time ICE asked that deportation officers be notified before he was released. Each time jails defied the request, ICE says." Why? This is the question Dems have to answer because while they ignore it, Rep make it a campaign slogan and keep winning over people. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/oct/9/sanctuary-city-jails-defy-ice-detainers-release-da/
I respectfully disagree. Actually they are winning on immigration and the article itself is proof of that. This bullshit happens coast to coast on a daily basis. If they were losing there wouldn't be any sanctuary cities and states, and local law enforcement would be with, instead of against ICE and federal law. The left owns the courts on this issue, they own the media, they own academia, they own nearly every big city mayor. The left is winning big on illegal immigration and they're winning because republicans don't have a much interest in stopping the flow either. Who pays the price? The average men and women in the street, of course.
I understand your point but what you state is more of winning of small battles like sanctuary cities and Federal v. State issues on this. Also sanctuary cities are basically places Dems will win in the 2020 election anyway so it does not gain them ground in states they lost that cost them the election in 2016. But overall they lost in the major election on this issue in 2016. It is gearing up for another loss in 2020 even if cities continue to go as they were. Republicans are not winning either but they are losing less and let's face it, that is enough. Sanctuary cities popped up more as an overreaction to some of Trump's reactionary policies/statements but with all pendulums it will swing back to the middle and Dems will be "left" out. GOP has great platforms to push and slogans for 2020 on this issue and all Dems have is how bad the detention centers are. That gets old and with nothing new to push they will lose ground on this issue. Dems need to keep every state in 2016 and get back those magic 3 they lost (PA, MICH and WISC). Scratch immigration off the list of a topic they can gain ground.
A couple of points. Trump has his own internal policy for deportation which is a drastic turn from the one we had under Obama. And this is an area Biden will beat Trump’s ass up and down the street. Trump’s policies have led to MORE illegal immigration and LESS deportation. Those are facts. Trump reversed the prioritizing violent criminals for deportation and threw a massive amount of established well undocumented immigrants with family and community ties into the system. They will take years to deport and are an overburden the system. As to this guy, this is Trumps fault. Buck stops there. He is on what his thrird or fourth CBP Director, I really don’t remember. CPB is in such disarray it will take years to get the system functioning again at the level Obama had it working.
Agreed, Immigration is a loser for the DNC. Democrats have stood on the same side of this issue as Republicans in the past, and everyone with a ounce of sense knows today’s immigration policy is broken. To fix it we have to get past the current polarization of today’s politics and meet in the middle. To the Democrat’s detriment they’re forced into their current position trying to combat Trump’s closed border platform. It ain’t getting fixed anytime soon.
Nah, the narrative has shifted to "red commies bad". Unless the RNC wants to finance another caravan from Central America , I think immigration is likely 2nd tier issue now.
Well I did not mean the main weakest issue, there are others. It will get pushed down because everyone is tired of both sides beating up on it but still doing nothing. GOP has proved they are as useless on this issue.
But the voters have to care and I am seeing more and more apathy but these stories about criminals energizes the base and swing voters who are in the middle but care about this issue. The Dems still have not found their energizing issue that will move outside of their base. It will be easy to tout Trump bragged about going after criminals and then rounded up Dreamer like people with no record and long history of work/taxes/family/roots. But that news cycle disappeared quickly. TO be fair immigration is something both sides are horrible at so it may become a really low priority item.
DACA has really turned political. There would be mainstream support for grandfathered rights for those who are here for so long and never in trouble and paying taxes etc. You can cut off the date so people dont just keep pouring in looking for status and clean up the system. The IRS actually issues ID cards to many undocumented workers so they can collect taxes so the government really does not care as long as it gets its $$$. Then remove the benefit for anyone else coming new and tighten up entry regulations. SO many ways it could have been handled bipartisanly but now it is a cluster fuck.