The line of reasoning that called the border crisis bogus and concluded that holding border security hostage was a smart response is the Democratic strategy that gave us Trump 2.0, as David Frum and many others predicted that it would. Have you forgotten how President Biden "couldn't do anything about the border on his own authority because he needed cooperation from Congress" for over three years -- until suddenly he could act after all and he didn't really need Congress at all? Unfortunately that revelation came to him far too late to save Harris, and to save us from the current disaster. Our choices have never been border security OR immigration reform: they've always been border security WITH immigration reform, or border security alone. Until the Democrats wise up on that, we're stuck with Trump.
But it could get worse. The real nightmare scenario is that the electorate is satisfied enough with Trump's actions on the border that he's rewarded with larger majorities instead of losses in the midterms, and we get a new Congress willing to enact Steven Miller's form of "immigration reform". I don't doubt that he has a detailed bill in his desk drawer ready to go, if the time ever seems right. Then you'll get your wish for a new immigration system that's immune from Executive Orders, but you and I won't like it.
Republicans held it hostage and got rewarded for it, so it's either not an crisis, or a good strategy, or both.
The line of reasoning that called the border crisis bogus and concluded that holding border security hostage was a smart response is the Democratic strategy that gave us Trump 2.0, as David Frum and many others predicted that it would. Have you forgotten how President Biden "couldn't do anything about the border on his own authority because he needed cooperation from Congress" for over three years -- until suddenly he could act after all and he didn't really need Congress at all? Unfortunately that revelation came to him far too late to save Harris, and to save us from the current disaster. Our choices have never been border security OR immigration reform: they've always been border security WITH immigration reform, or border security alone. Until the Democrats wise up on that, we're stuck with Trump.
But it could get worse. The real nightmare scenario is that the electorate is satisfied enough with Trump's actions on the border that he's rewarded with larger majorities instead of losses in the midterms, and we get a new Congress willing to enact Steven Miller's form of "immigration reform". I don't doubt that he has a detailed bill in his desk drawer ready to go, if the time ever seems right. Then you'll get your wish for a new immigration system that's immune from Executive Orders, but you and I won't like it.