Immigration was a good issue for Senate Republicans in the midterm elections, but Democrats see it as a winner for them in 2020 and have little desire to negotiate on the issue in the lame-duck session or next year.

The offer that Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) proffered at the start of this year — full funding for the border wall in exchange for reauthorization of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects immigrants who came to the country illegally as children — is no longer on the table.

Democrats say they are content to take the issue into 2020, when Democratic voters are projected to turn out in larger numbers and two pivotal Senate races will be fought in states with large Hispanic populations: Arizona and Colorado.


A Senate Democratic aide noted that there’s less incentive for Democrats to agree to funding Trump’s border wall in the December lame-duck session now that they have captured control of the House and will have more leverage on immigration next year.

Democratic lawmakers, however, haven’t yet had a chance to gather in Washington to discuss their strategy moving forward.

Wilkes said there’s no reason to compromise with Trump over the wall during the lame-duck when they can use control of the House next year to get him to agree to a DACA fix.

“A shutdown never helps the party that causes it,” he said, discounting Trump’s leverage.


Lake said Trump “definitely would benefit” from striking a deal to reimplement DACA but questioned whether he would want to do it.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune (S.D.), the third-ranking Senate GOP leader, said Tuesday he is hopeful of a border wall deal but said he would need to check in with Democratic colleagues.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/...y-in-lame-duck