The post-pandemic years have been a perplexing time in immigration politics. Border crossings spiked after an early pandemic-era lull in 2020. That increase coincided with the first year of a new Democratic president, who sought to be more welcoming to immigrants after campaigning against Donald Trump s harshness. And somewhere along the way, the public s opinion of immigration, both legal and not, began to sour.
Biden is about to find out if the US has a middle ground on immigration – Vox
That s the context behind President Joe Biden s shifts to the center on the subject this spring and summer, particularly when he announced new restrictions that make life more difficult for asylum seekers.
But now, Biden seems to be swinging in the opposite direction: outlining a plan to offer legal protections to the undocumented spouses of American citizens a win for immigrants, and the political left.
The plan responds to longstanding demands made by pro-immigrant activists, tamping down some of the progressive and left-flank criticism he s gotten for that rightward pivot on immigration he and other Democrats have felt like they have to take.
The move is both a balancing act of politics and a test case for policy: Is there a limited, humanitarian reform that can unite progressive and moderate Democrats, win support from a hesitant public, and provide political cover for Biden if he has to keep moving to the center on immigration more broadly?
via www.vox.com
Ho ho ho! This is too precious to miss. The writer deserves an award for euphemism.