Archives for 2024

I haven’t seen the clip of where Biden talked about this publicly, so I can’t quite tell whether it’s the campaign that is framing this as a move to win over Latinos in key states, or whether it’s the media that’s framing it that way.  Seems crazy for Biden to present it this way, unless the horserace narrative is the only way to get the media to cover something?

It’s like when campaigns say “Person X is doing this thing (Y) in order to look strong.” WTF?  You don’t look strong by saying that out loud – the point is to let the audience conclude that you look strong when you do that thing.

In any case, I think this will be a great move.  It adds stability for over 750,000 families, and I’m sure it will be good for the economy.

Biden nears huge next move on immigration as he tries to win over Latinos in key states (CNN)

Looking to shore up Latino votes in Nevada and Arizona for his reelection campaign, President Joe Biden is on the verge of soon following up last week’s executive action aimed at curbing border crossings with another move focused on providing legal status for long-term undocumented immigrants who are married to American citizens.

Though final details have not been decided, officials are reviewing an existing legal authority known as “parole in place” that would shield select undocumented immigrants from deportation and allow them to work legally in the country as they seek citizenship. The orders have not yet been presented to Biden himself for review.

Polling reviewed by top aides in the White House and the president’s reelection headquarters are helping seal the deal.

For Biden in Arizona, “Everything is on the margins, right?” said Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. “My sense is it should help.”

Estimates put the number of people who could be directly affected at 750,000 to 800,000, with a reverberating effect among spouses, children, extended family and friends — and predominantly Latinos. That’s millions of potential votes in just Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia. Those are all battleground states, all home to many Latinos and all looking likely to be decided in November by slivers of the electorate.

“We have lost the narrative on the border, and so we need to start winning it back,” said one person involved in the discussions of why Biden started with the executive action tightening asylum rules last week.

But “Latino voters in particular are extremely enthusiastic about seeing something done to help people they know. It is either a direct relative or friend, someone they work with,” that person argued. “It is such a powerful signal to these communities that you care about them, and you understand what’s happening there.”

This could amount to the federal government’s biggest relief program since the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. That program, which allowed undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children to live and work in the country, was announced mid-June of Obama’s own reelection year in 2012.

Several veterans of Obama’s reelection point to that moment as a key turning point for his bid for a second term. Biden, then the vice president, was engaged in many of those discussions.

Open thread.

I Like the Policy but not the Framing (What Else Is New?)Post + Comments (66)