Eight million undocumented immigrants’ path to citizenship hopes to be included in the Democrat’s upcoming budget reconciliation bill were thwarted by a Senate parliamentarian ruling, a staff attorney who reviews chamber rules.
But there’s been a wealth of enthusiastic support from the American people.
A new survey conducted by the Democratic consulting firm Global Strategy Council (GSC) for the Immigration Hub found that 66 percent of voters would be “upset” if immigration reform does not make it into law.
The survey was conducted in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. These states have all had competitive Senate races in the last years. Of the people who took the poll, 13 percent identify as unmotivated Democrats. They are likely not to vote in the 2022 midterms.
Immigration is such a hot and important topic these days, especially with the ongoing immigration crisis at the Mexican American border, and if those entrusted to watch the border are using best practices.
From that same survey, 60 percent of voters said they would be less likely to vote for a senator who votes against reform. Essentially, if senators want to keep their jobs, listening to what their constituents want passed into law seems like a good idea.
The Democrats are trying to pass a wide band of policies, hoping to sidestep a Republican filibuster. Among the proposals in the budget reconciliation package is a means to grant immigration status to millions of undocumented immigrants and hundreds of thousands on temporary visas.
The GSC reported that voters overwhelmingly support immigration proposals about permitting a path to citizenship but voice concerns over conditions at the border. And it seems immigration advocates are growing impatient with congressional Democrats and the Biden administration, who seem to be tolerating inaction when it comes to immigration reform and hiding behind the parliamentarian’s ruling.
The parliamentarian’s decision isn’t set in stone. The Democrats have several options:
- Present the parliamentarian with alternative proposals.
- Overrule the parliamentarian.
- Resume bipartisan negotiations that congressional Republicans might find satisfactory.
Among Democrats and Republicans voters, the support for immigration conditions is split. The GSC poll went on to show that the breakdown of voters who support the DREAM Act are 89 percent Democrats, 61 percent Independents, and 50 percent of Republicans. The numbers look the same for support for citizenship for essential works and citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United States for more than ten years.
Based upon the findings in this recent survey and much of the American population wanting immigration reform, the Democrats could and should do way more to harness this case for immigration, like trying to garner support from Republicans supporting conservative ruling districts.
Perhaps try to appeal to the Republicans’ adoration to helping the economy since immigration reform would only do the American economy good.