To see how protracted and insane the immigration debate has become among amnesty proponents, look no further than the drama which engulfed LULAC over the last two weeks. LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, is one of the oldest Hispanic advocacy groups in the country. The group’s president, Roger Rocha, issued an open letter in support of President Trump’s Four Pillar immigration proposal, which would provide a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million DACA and DACA-eligible illegal aliens in the country.
Rocha’s letter reluctantly acquiesced to the President’s demands for stricter enforcement of our borders, including the wall, along with sharp cuts to legal immigration. The left-wing base which makes up LULAC membership erupted over the President’s letter. Rocha apologized for the outrage and rescinded the letter. But the damage is done, and not just to Rocha. The LULAC Board of Directors held an emergency meeting last weekend and they issued a vote of no confidence against Rocha. He has doubled-down on his apologies, but has signaled that he will not resign; however, he is not running for re-election, either.
What’s going on here? Why does this drama within a private national organization deserve more attention? It goes to show how radically, and radically insane the Democratic Party and their supporting pro-amnesty interest groups have become. One has to give Rocha some credit. He probably recognized that the best deal one could hope for granting permanent legal status to young illegals rested in the President’s clearly outlined proposal. The voters in this country have militantly opposed amnesty for decades, and they have every right to expect enforcement of our immigration laws. The vast majority of Americans who are not political, have become very political over illegal immigration. It’s a fact of life that the pressure on public services, the economy, and public safety have grown too great to ignore.
But on the left, and among the most ardent liberals within the Democratic Party, there is no compromise. They must have their amnesty, and no strings attached: a full ride with no wall or border enforcement. I was surprised that my U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, one of the most left-wing partisans in the US Senate, voted against the Schumer-Rounds-Collins bill. After all, that legislation would have curtained ICE and DHS enforcement activities while allowing illegals who had entered the country up to June 29, 2018 to seek legal status in the country.
That was the worst bill, and yet 8 Republicans crossed over to vote for it. Despite the bipartisan support, Harris and the two U.S. Senators from New Mexico, along with the more real (and realistic) Republican caucus, killed that legislation. But why those three U.S. Senators? They don’t support that “stupid” wall. I wanted to call their offices and ask: “Do you have a door? Do you lock it at night? How about a wall? Do you have walls around your home?”
Sure, these left-wing Senators can play up their opposition to their base. However, they should also admit that they have scuttled any opportunity for an amnesty because of their adamant refusal to respect the President and the American People’s priorities on enforcement and security. Do these liberals not get it? They are not getting anything if they won’t compromise on the main enforcement elements with the President’s agenda.
This divide over amnesty isn’t just among politicians and their base, but has emerged among the illegal aliens themselves! The Los AngelesTimes just ran an article articulating the frustration and resentment among non-DACA illegals. They are no longer young adults, and some of these illegals are hitting 40 years old. They have lived and worked in the shadows for more than three decades.
They didn’t qualify for DACA, and now they are mad because their “needs” are not getting attention from lawmakers fighting to pass any kind of immigration reform. Their arrogance and raging sense of entitlement is unfathomable. Who do they think they are? How is it possible that any cohort of illegals living in this country would still be illegal after all these years? President Reagan signed off on a comprehensive amnesty 30 years ago. What have they been doing all this time?
Now another dilemma emerges: Should amnesty proponents settle for a compromise, as the embattled President of LULAC tried to do? Or should activists continue to scream, shout, block traffic, and harass lawmakers until they get a clean DREAM Act? Should they agitate for a comprehensive 11+ million amnesty proposal, and in the meantime wait for the results of the November 2018 election, too?
This divide among the different pro-amnesty factions, the Democratic Party, and the illegal aliens is fascinating, and ultimately working in the President and the American people’s favor. All along, I wagered that President Trump was not throwing away his campaign promises on immigration enforcement. After all, Republicans need their base now more than ever, and Republicans right now are not as motivated as the Democrats, still a potent, enraged force. The President enticed the center-left coalition with a pretty generous deal, but they have turned it down, and now are turning on their more reasonable leaders.
If anyone was paying attention, President Trump’s latest weekend address focused on immigration, but he discussed three important pillars to his proposal—not four. Guess which pillar is missing! DACA is apparently off the table, and Trump is doubling down on limiting legal immigration, including chain migration and the diversity VISA program. Democrats have not only squandered their diminished political capital, but they have worn out the patience of their left-wing base.
I have to say I am breathing a sigh of relief over all public, violent meltdowns among amnesty supporters. Finally, conservatives are no longer playing defense on this contentious issue, but now we can fight to ensure that our borders will be secure, that our culture and country will persevere, and perhaps we can put this lingering wedge issue to rest for good.