The Republican effort to solidify immigration as a decisive issue in the November elections promises to influence the rematch between President Biden and former President Trump, and has already intensified pressure on Democrats in swing districts as their party fights to win the control of Congress.
Seeking political advantage, Trump continues to criticize Biden for his administration's border policies and stoking anti-immigrant sentiment: promising mass deportations of people residing in the country illegally, dehumanizing them as “animals” and accusing them of “poisoning” communities.
Biden has taken a tougher tone in recent months in urging House Republicans to pass a bipartisan border security bill, saying he would close the border immediately if given the chance. The bill itself marks the first time that a majority of Democrats in Congress have supported immigration legislation without a provision for people to seek legal status.
The same theme is echoed in the vote, as some Democrats become more outspoken about their support for greater border security and tougher immigration policies.
Thirty-seven Democrats voted earlier this month in favor of the Laken Riley Act, which would require the Department of Homeland Security to detain immigrants arrested on suspicion of theft-related crimes. A week later, 14 Democrats voted in favor of a resolution that “denounces the Biden administration's open border policies.”
The votes could reflect how Democrats in vulnerable seats in Congress could avoid attacks from opponents who say they are soft on immigration and border issues.
Chris Tausanovitch, a political science professor at UCLA who studies Congress, said Republicans had designed recent immigration-related bills to win over politically vulnerable Democrats, forcing some to condemn a president from their own party. .
“We know that the situation at the border has changed enormously,” he said. “Border security has always been popular with the American public. Politically, that is an intelligent and oscillating position.”
Senate Democrats, who have a slim majority, immediately blocked the advancement of the Laken Riley Act. Tausanovitch said some House Democrats who voted yes might have voted differently if the measure had had a chance of becoming law.
“The fact that these bills have no chance of passing makes them a political benefit for a moderate Democrat who wants to show that he really has a tough stance on immigration,” he said.
But House Republicans, who last month blocked a bipartisan Senate border security bill at Trump's behest, have introduced bills that are tangentially but not exactly related to border security, and that are unpalatable for most of those on his left. Tausanovitch said that's because Republicans want to show voters they're trying while also remaining loyal to their presidential candidate's wishes.
Reps. Mike Levin of San Juan Capistrano and Josh Harder of Turlock were among the California Democrats who voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act. Although both incumbents are favorites to win reelection in November, Levin's district in Orange and San Diego counties is almost evenly divided between Democratic and Republican voters, and Harder faces a challenge from Stockton's Republican mayor, Kevin Lincoln, in his Central Valley district.
The Laken Riley Law is named after a Georgia college student who was murdered last month. Police arrested a suspect in the death of him who reportedly entered the US illegally in 2022 and was released into the country by Border Patrol. The bill would also allow states to sue the federal government for alleged failures related to immigration law enforcement.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) immediately condemned the 170 Democrats who voted against the bill.
“Sadly, if these Democrats have their way, there will be more victims like Laken Riley.” said in X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Riley's father said this week It angers him to see his death being exploited for political gain.
After casting his vote in favor of the Republican measure, Rep. Levin issued a statement saying he believes everyone should respect the rule of law.
“While I voted in favor of this bill, I disagree with its language that injects politics into the legislative text and wrongly singles out the Biden administration for the murder of Ms. Riley,” he wrote.
Levin is part of a group of 26 House Democrats who formed the Democrats for Border Security Task Force this month. Led by Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas and Tom Suozzi of New York, the group aims to address the rise in illicit narcotics and irregular migration at the southern border.
Suozzi, who replaced former Republican Rep. George Santos last month, campaigned on beefing up border security and pushing for bipartisan immigration reform that “treats people like human beings.”
Senator Christopher S. Murphy of Connecticut urged his Democratic colleagues In a memo last month to emphasize the border and immigration, he said Suozzi's victory could “serve as a road map for Democrats.”
Rep. Susie Lee of Nevada, who also voted in favor of the resolution condemning Biden's policies and the Laken Riley Act, said she had always been strong on border security, an important issue in her district. But local defenders slammed his vote in favor of the resolution on border policies, calling it a disappointing misstep.
“Do these resolutions contain language that I do not 100% support? Absolutely,” Lee said in response. “But the fact of the matter is that it's not just about our border security. Obviously we need to have a border and respect it, but most importantly we need to reform our immigration system. This is something Congress has not done for the last 30 years.”
Lee said he didn't like that the Riley law was written in such a partisan way. But he said bipartisanship means neither side gets exactly what it wants.
“You have to start negotiating from where you can find common ground,” he said. “But too often, especially when it comes to immigration reform, the conversation starts at redlining.”
Whether a bill passes or not, Lee said, she always votes based on what's in front of her.
Democratic strategist Maria Cardona said Democrats have reached a turning point. Republicans “turning their backs on the border bill” gave them an opportunity to go on the offensive, she said.
A bipartisan group of senators had worked for months to craft the $118 billion border security and foreign aid bill. Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, furious at being excluded from the negotiations, opposed his list of GOP immigration priorities, including raising the threshold for asylum seekers and limiting presidential authority to parole asylum seekers. immigrants facing persecution in their countries of origin.
But the legislation failed after Trump told Republicans not to support it.
Instead of playing on Republican territory, Cardona said, Democrats should take advantage of this moment to define, in detail, their immigration solutions; Broadly speaking, a balanced approach that combines increased security measures with expanded legal avenues for immigrants. Previously, Democrats left a void by not talking enough about the issue, he said. Now they are talking.
“When there is a void, it will be filled with misinformation,” he said. “If you don't define yourself, your opponent will define you. It is the first rule of politics.”
Kerri Talbot, executive director of the advocacy group Immigration Hub that works with Congress to develop policy, said it was disappointing to see Democrats vote with Republicans in favor of the Laken Riley Act.
“There is a cost to Trump focusing all his energy on this issue,” he said. “He's got a big bully pulpit.”
