Democrats are Already Trashing a Potential Immigration Deal From Trump. Here's Why

On paper, offering Democrats the formalization of DACA in return for concessions on immigration enforcement measures is a reasonable gambit. But if the White House believes Democratic leadership will go for it, they're -- well -- dreaming. Democrats have moved hard left on immigration, in service of both their identity politics obsession and their zeal to thwart Trump on his signature campaign issue. Their "resistance" base will angrily demand that they stop at nothing to prevent the president from fulfilling his most memorable electoral promise: Building the wall. Even if Trump offered them a clean trade -- DACA for the wall -- Democrats would almost certainly rebuff the proposal. Asking them to sign on to additional immigration enforcement items and to curtail legal immigration (even if some Trump-endorsed policies garner wide support) will be back-handed away as a non-starter. Democrats aren't willing to do anything that might be construed as delivering a "win" to Trump at the expense of their hardcore voters.

There's another element to this equation, too. Democrats don't view making the DREAM Act permanent as a political win because they believe (a) they've already won the PR and policy battle on this front, and (b) it's probably more valuable to them as a plausibly "live" issue. The fact that Trump extended Obama's executive foray means that it's now a fact of life in Washington, so they see little practical risk that DREAMers' legal status will be revoked in the future. Meanwhile, using DREAMers as a talking point on immigration, and raising the specter of what those heartless Republicans might do to those poor kids, is a strong demagogic temptation. From a cynical perspective, taking the issue off the table (with a Republican president getting credit, no less) would be something of a lose-lose for Democrats -- especially if they help Trump implement even more of his agenda in the process. That's why you're seeing immediate, faux-indignant rejections like this from Democratic leaders:



Please recall that Nancy and friends did exactly nothing to legalize DREAMers through the legislative process when they controlled everything in Washington, not too long ago. Doing so would have been a layup; many Republicans, terrified by Obama's sweeping victory coalition, would have been champing at the bit to sign onto a politically-palatable, 'small ball' immigration reform item. Yet Pelosi didn't act. A few years later, after Republicans had made major electoral gains, Obama allegedly sought to undermine Marco Rubio's DREAM Act efforts, further suggesting that Democrats prefer to exploit DREAMers as political pawns, rather than genuinely resolve their status. That's what makes Pelosi's crocodile tears about "treating children as bargaining chips" so unconvincing. There's a serious case to be made that she wants them to feel like vulnerable potential bargaining chips in perpetuity, in order to help Democrats shore up certain voting constituencies and win elections. Where does that fall on the scale of "reprehensibility"? I'll leave you with another issue on which Pelosi never lifted a finger when she was in power:



So very "reprehensible," in fact (her staff might want to buy her a thesaurus if she uses that word again this month), that she did absolutely nothing about it throughout her reign. By the way, Pelosi's base may love this posturing, but the public does not.



https://townhall.com/tipsheet/guyben...-deal-n2371763



that's what's frustrating

Pelosi' needs to be booted out! She's not even a true democrat she's a corporate democrat only there to serve the interests of corporations. She makes me sick and she's the reason the Democratic Party is failing !

Plausible perspective. However, it should be noted that the House, under Pelosi's leadership, did successfully pass the DA which unfortunately died in the Senate. There was also the economic downturn that took much more precedence than immigration reform.

All in all, though, I do agree certain elements of this article do bear true, especially when it comes to us preferably stuck in limbo for the party's gain. None of these politicians will ever know what it's like to live a life of an undocumented.

always remember 5 democrats voted against the Dream Act in 2010. 55-41

i expected more from them, wasnt really surprised McCain, Graham voted against it bcuz of politics. but 5 democrats!!!

The blue dogs are almost extinct now, thank god.

im legit sad tbh, i believe this is the end of the road for us.

but it is what it is, life goes on... i'll just ask the company i work for to transfer me overseas when i expire.

Don't give up that fast, brah!

The fact that we keep hearing rumors and now even news articles about a possible trade...someone pretty high up def wants this to make it happen. Otherwise, they wouldn't be leaking it to the news outlets.

THIS is what a lot of people forget. When Democrats controlled Congress, they couldn't get it done. Sad.