Democrats who were once united against former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies are now starting to embrace some of those policies under President Joe Biden. This shift was evident in the Senate as Democrats in tight re-election races voted for a bipartisan border bill that included measures to make it easier to bar asylum seekers and funding for new border wall miles. Senators Sherrod Brown and Jacky Rosen, who had criticized Trump’s asylum policies, later supported extending Title 42 under Biden, reflecting the changing politics around immigration and the border.
With immigration surging to the top of voter priorities and monthly apprehensions at the US-Mexico border increasing drastically under Biden, some Democrats are now open to bipartisan solutions to address the crisis. This includes senators like Brown and Rosen, who face competitive re-election campaigns and have voiced support for reform at the border. The decision by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to hold a second vote on the bipartisan border security bill was seen as a political move to force Republicans to vote again on the measure they had previously killed, but it also gave Democrats in competitive races a chance to support tougher immigration policies.
Senator Jon Tester from Montana, who also faces a tough re-election campaign, voted in support of the border bill despite his past opposition to a wall. Tester has a history of criticizing the wall as ineffective and wasteful, but has supported funding for border barriers in the past. Similarly, senators like Brown and Rosen, along with Representative Colin Allred of Texas, have previously advocated for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship, but the recent border bill they supported lacked provisions for undocumented immigrants.
Allred, a former NFL player and civil rights attorney, has been critical of Trump’s border wall and has previously called it racist and wasteful. However, he has acknowledged the need for physical barriers in some places and supported funding for parts of the wall in the past. He praised the Biden administration’s construction of new sections of the border wall using funds allocated during the Trump administration, citing the importance of securing overwhelmed border communities. Allred’s campaign emphasizes his commitment to border security as part of comprehensive immigration reform and his willingness to work with both parties to address the issue.
While Democrats’ shifting stance on immigration and the border reflects the changing political landscape, with some supporting tougher border policies and funding for walls, there is still a push for comprehensive reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Senators like Brown and Rosen, as well as Representative Allred, have previously advocated for such reforms and have introduced legislation to protect undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children. Despite their support for the recent border bill, these Democrats continue to push for a more comprehensive approach to immigration that addresses the needs of all immigrant populations.
