President Trump says he will grant a reprieve from deportation to illegal immigrants - Page 2

Nothing of the sort will happen. Right now Trump is underwater on every issue. Inflation, Foreign affairs, jobs, civil rights, trade, everything.

Except one. Immigration. Even though he's acting unconstitutionally and committing outrages every day, even against white tourists at the border. Immigration is the issue that made Trump, the issue that propelled him to power. I am often perplexed by the discussion in these forums. Immigration, tougher immigration enforcement is a political winner for Republicans and a political loser for Democrats.

As the economy gets worse thanks to tariffs, things will get worse for Trump politically and will give him less freedom of action, although God knows what bullshit he will try to circumvent the laws and extend his powers. Since the lower his approval ratings get, the higher the chance he will get impeached, he will need to shore up his base to avoid this. Why break with them over this? He won't lift a finger to help immigrants. If anything I am expecting worse and I am bracing for even more terrible things to happen.

It's not that there aren't Republican in congress who don't understand that the system is broken. There are some Republican votes for immigration reform. But as I 've said before, I am old enough to remember the 2007 attempt at immigration reform. That thing was close, only a couple of votes shy from reaching 60. But their base revolted, jammed the phone lines in the senate and forced them to back off.

Things have gotten even worse since then.

This doesn't mean that Trump can't lower the heat for certain groups of workers, like people in agriculture. This this happened before, like for example with operation Wetback in the 1950s. That was the biggest mass deportation attempt in US history. But after a lot of people were rounded up, agricultural interests coalesced and told them to lay off.

But IIRC, this didn't mean there was a permanent legislative fix. It's going to be even less likely now.

I wish that I am wrong. I cannot overstate how much I want things to change, how much I am driven nuts by the way things are. I 've been undocumented for more than 20 years. I really had enough. But when I try to analyze the situation as dispassionately as I can, this is what I see.