Pirate's Cove

Politico and writers Emily Ngo and Nicholas Wu do not see to understand either

Democrats scramble to make their immigration stand amid broader support for deportations

Democrats’ long-standing struggle with messaging has come back to haunt them just as President Donald Trump is intensifying his crackdown on illegal immigration — an effort some Democrats support.

For the moment, the party is backed into a corner. Its leaders are reluctant to alienate centrist members voting with Republicans on bills making it easier to deport migrants charged with crimes. They also can’t deny that public opinion is shifting to the right and aligning with Trump on targeting criminals. And they know missteps could blow their chances at retaking the House in the midterms.

It’s a familiar dilemma at an unpredictable time.

“What is the party’s message on immigration? There presently is not one,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told reporters recently in Washington.

Messaging? Americans literally saw it play out in real time, with the Biden-Harris admin opening the borders, letting in murderers, rapists, child predators, and gang members, as well is importing Islmists, gang members, and America haters, then shipping them off to small town America. Democrats are still talking about being sanctuary cities and protecting illegals, including ones like child rapists. Even as they whined about Greg Abbott shipping tens of thousands of illegals to sanctuary cities. How do they put that in messaging? They can yammer about being charitable and helpful, but, they’re still protecting murderers.

But the party does have the beginnings of a game plan. It’s built around the expectation the president will expand his signature deportation blueprint to target immigrants with whom Americans can more readily sympathize.

“Dreamers, farm workers and families,” Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, listed at a recent news conference, previewing where Democrats will make their stand — if they can get on the same page with messaging.

And, they bring in criminals and refuse to deport them. Actively protect them.

Many Democrats have sought to warn voters that the president will not stop at deporting criminals, and some have stressed the need for due process for those charged. They’re now trying to paint Trump’s plans as a precursor to efforts to break up mixed-status families and remove agricultural workers, which would likely drive up grocery prices.

Yeah, Democrats need those illegals to pick their veggies and do their decks.

Jeffries has also begun specifying the same three groups — families, DACA recipients and agricultural workers — as Democrats’ potential line in the sand.

“House Democrats are prepared to work together with our Republican colleagues to find common ground, with respect to securing our border, with respect to fixing our broken immigration system in a bipartisan and comprehensive way and with respect to defending Dreamers, farm workers and keeping families together,” the top Dem said at a news conference.

We’re not falling for this again. Democrats will demand legalization in exchange for future border security. Guess what? Trump doesn’t need their permission. He has all the standing law as previously passed by Congress. This is who Democrats protect

pic.twitter.com/WWGHZlHBCN

— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) February 1, 2025

Read: Democrats Having A Hard Time Figuring Out How To Get Americans To Believe In Open Borders »

I remember when the Democrat talking point was that they didn’t want the criminals and gang members, just the good illegals. Yet, this keeps happening

MS-13 gang member arrested by ICE previously released due to sanctuary policy

An MS-13 gang member arrested by federal immigration authorities in Massachusetts last week was facing state gun charges and had previously been ordered to be deported before he was released by a Boston court.

Luis Adolfo Guerra Perez, 19, a Guatemalan citizen, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Jan. 22.

“Luis Adolfo Guerra-Perez is an illegally present gang member, who has shown complete disregard for American laws,” said acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “He is a member of a violent street gang charged with illegally possessing a high-capacity firearm and drugs. We will not tolerate such offenders to threaten the residents of our New England neighborhoods.”

Guerra was initially arrested on March 21, 2021, after illegally entering the United States through the southern border, ICE said. The U.S. Border Patrol issued him a notice to appear before an immigration judge.

And the Biden admin let him go. A known MS-13 gang member. There is a zero percent change that he would be given asylum. None. Nada. He should have been sent right back to Guatemala. He was finally ordered deported in 2024.

However, on Jan.3, an East Boston District Court arraigned him on several charges, including possession of a large capacity weapon/firearm, possession of a class D controlled substance, possession of firearm without permit and possession of ammunition.

And yet they still let him go without even notifying ICE, because Boston is a sanctuary city. And the release date? January 22nd. Because they did not want an MS-13 gang member facing multiple felonies to be picked up. How does this safeguard the citizens of Boston? Maybe the elites think that hardcore gangbangers like Perez will do their lawns?

Read: SCB Judge Released MS-13 Gang Member »