Republicans Prove Once Again That They Are Not A Governing Party-- Just Whiners

Ryan's "compromise" immigration bill-- a compromise between the relatively mainstream conservatives and the neo-fascists in the House-- fell apart today as 112 Republicans joined every single Democrat to oppose it. Just 121 Republicans stuck with Ryan. The final score was 121-301. 193 Republicans had backed the really racist and xenophobic neo-fascist bill last week, so 72 fewer Republicans if you're wondering how insanely right-wing the party is going.

The legislation would have given Trump and his cronies 25 billion dollars to plunder from his idiotic Great Wall of Trump boondoggle. It would also have scaled back on legal immigration and given DREAMers a path to citizenship, anathema to the extreme right.

Trumpanzee's unhinged tweet early this morning was largely ignored by Republicans of all stripes.CNN reported that "the legislation also unearthed a long known, yet still jarring, reality for Republicans just months ahead of the midterm elections. After weeks of discussions, closed-door listening sessions, a short burst of administration lobbying and the blessing of House leaders, rank-and-file members still remain deeply divided about how to address and reform the country's immigration system.

"There's no unicorn-- nothing that Jim Jordan would vote for that Carlos Curbelo could ever support," said one senior GOP aide, referring to a non-existent bill that could bridge the gap between the conference's most conservative and moderate members. "And vice versa."
Conservatives, afraid of how their base may react, did not see a reason to vote for it even if they agree in large part with many of the bill's provisions.

"This only works if Trump's behind us," one member said. "No use sticking out our necks if the bill's going to fail."

In the last few weeks, President Donald Trump has sent mixed messages. At first, Trump said he wouldn't back the compromise bill in an interview with Fox News only to have his staff issue a statement later that day saying he would back it. Then, after visiting Capitol Hill himself Tuesday last week and dispatching Cabinet officials to Capitol Hill, Trump tweeted Friday that members of Congress were wasting their time.

"Republicans should stop wasting their time on immigration until after we elect more Senators and Congressmen/women in November. Dems are just playing games, have no intention of doing anything to solve this decades old problem. We can pass great legislation after the Red Wave," Trump tweeted.

The move has made members skittish, especially conservatives who fear supporting anything that could be construed as backing so-called amnesty back home.

..."Whether it is something positive or negative, when the President tweets it impacts whatever the situation might be specifically when it comes to anything we are trying to pass," [North Carolina extremist Mark] Walker said.

What a pathetic political party! They're afraid of their voters, afraid of Trump... and they stand for nothing at all. They really do all need a permanent vacation. Hopefully November will wipe them out.

Today Congressional Republicans Proved Once Again That They Can't Govern-- Just Complain

I don't think anyone really thought Goodlatte's extreme hard-core anti-immigrant bill (HR 4760) had a chance of passing this afternoon. And it didn't. With every single Democrat and 41 Republicans voting NO, it went down 231-193. It was interesting that most of the Republicanos with tough reelection battles looming voted against it. They know which way the wind is blowing. This were some of the frightened Republicans who voted NO:

• Mike Coffman (CO-06)
• Barbara Comstock (VA-10)
• Carlos Curbelo (FL-26)
• Jeff Denham (CA-10)
• Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25)
• Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01)
• Will Hurd (TX-23)
• John Katko (NY-24)
• Peter King (NY-02)
• Steve Knight (CA-25)
• MacArthur (NJ-03)
• Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05)
• Erik Paulsen (MN-03)
• Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48)
• Pete Roskam (IL-06)
• Steve Russell (OK-05)
• Elise Stefanik (NY-21)
• Fred Upton (MI-06)
• David Valadao (CA-21)

As Duwayne Gregory-- the progressive Democrat running for the South Shore Long Island seat Peter King occupies-- just told me, "Republican members of Congress can only grow a spine when they feel their re-election will be directly impacted. Peter King has not shown the leadership that his district and quite frankly the country deserves from a longstanding member of the Republican majority in Congress. Our country doesn’t need members in Congress who do the right thing only when they feel they elections are threatened. We need leaders who will stand up with courage and conviction to do what is best for our country regardless of the consequences."



The "compromise" bill (it shields DREAMers from deportation), which is slightly less extreme has been postponed until tomorrow-- at the soonest. It is expected to fail as well.

House conservatives have been asking GOP leaders for more time to review the legislation. And House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) has been advocating for additional time to whip the bill all week.

Speaker Paul Ryan called a meeting early Thursday afternoon with other Republican leaders to discuss the situation.

“I think it is a mistake that leadership is rushing this [compromise] bill to the floor today,” Rep. Raul Labrador, one of the top negotiators of the text, said before the leadership meeting was announced.

"I actually think with a little bit more conversation, we could actually get to an agreement on things,” the Idaho Republican said. “Somebody suggested this today: we don’t have the White House picnic. Let’s spend those two hours in a room as Republicans talking about how we can actually get to 218.”

...The expected failure of both measures is also a setback for Trump, who pitched himself to voters as the world’s greatest dealmaker. Not only does the exercise make the president look weak, the collapse of the bill will undercut his message of blaming Democrats for problems at the border. Republicans can’t get on the same page themselves... Trump fired off a flurry of immigration tweets Thursday morning but, notably, none were a direct push for House Republicans to back the compromise bill. Instead, the president attacked the U.S. asylum system and accused Democrats of preventing action on immigration.

“What is the purpose of the House doing good immigration bills when you need 9 votes by Democrats in the Senate, and the Dems are only looking to Obstruct (which they feel is good for them in the Mid-Terms),” Trump tweeted. “Republicans must get rid of the stupid Filibuster Rule-it is killing you!”

Time and again in his dealings with Congress, and especially with Republicans, Trump has shown that he doesn’t know how to close deals on legislation. At crucial times, he hasn’t been able to move votes, due in part to his failure or unwillingness to grasp the intricacies of legislation and policy.

Trump can attack Republicans in Congress, he can confuse them, and he can scare them, but he often can’t make them vote how he wants.

“We’re still working through a lot of questions that members have,” Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) said Wednesday night after leaving a whip meeting. “I think the president had a really good meeting at the White House with a number of members as well and he was really strong in his support and why he wants this bill on his desk.”

Scalise acknowledged, however, that GOP leaders still don’t have 218 votes.

The votes on a pair of immigration bill come a day after tensions between leaders, conservatives and moderates boiled over on the House floor. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows accused Ryan of lying to him about which conservative bill he’d allow to come to a vote. The North Carolina lawmaker, who rarely raises his voice, also fumed that two provisions he’d won in the compromise bill were left out, breaking their agreement.

GOP leaders huddled Wednesday night after the clash. Ryan called Meadows and told him they would give him the provisions he wanted, leaving both sides chalking up the run-in as a misunderstanding.

Some people close to the negotiations and aligned with leadership complain that conservatives were shifting their demands as the vote approached. Immigration hard-liners counter that leaders have been unwilling to do enough to secure the border. And even though a compromise was reached on what the House would take up, ill will lingers.

Conservatives are disappointed by Trump’s inability to sell the compromise bill and are therefore wary of voting “yes.” The package includes a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and some other types of immigrants, devised by immigration hawk Rep. Raúl Labrador of Idaho.

But conservatives don’t like the final product. It would significantly curb family migration, end the diversity visa lottery program and appropriate $25 billion for a border wall. Critics on the right wanted additional provisions, such as E-Verify, which mandates that all businesses check the legal status of their workers.

Trump met with a handful of lawmakers at the White House on Wednesday and appears to have moved some of them, according to one Republican source. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen were on the Hill separately Wednesday to try to drum up support.

But GOP leaders say the only way the compromise legislation would pass is if Trump himself tells conservatives explicitly: Vote for the compromise bill.

Trump hasn’t done that. Neither, it appears, did his Cabinet officials, who echoed Trump’s careful talking points: the president would sign either a conservative bill or a moderate bill, they said.

The "compromise" bill provides DREAMers with a pathway to citizenship and gives Trump the $25 billion for the wall, most of which he plans to steal and enrich his friends. It also prevents families from being separated at the border-- incarceration instead of separation?

This Tuesday, progressive Democrat Tom Guild has his primary against some establishment candidates Today he told us that his Republican opponent "Steve Russell has made a living by logging a radical voting record and his bloviating and extreme rhetoric. When all of his Oklahoma Republican House Colleagues voted for the extreme immigration measure, Russell vote no. He was for the bill before he was against it. He must feel the heat on the immigration issue our campaign has focused on him and his radical views. Since Russell wakes up in a new world every day, we’re waiting with baited breath to see what his next naked political chess move will be."

What Does This Morning's Budget Vote Have To Do With Midterm Primary Politics?

4 inches-- what if she had worn sneakers?

Señor Trumpanzee signed the budget deal this morning that the House passed 240-186 at 5:32 AM, ending Rand Paul's evening government shutdown. I wonder if he would have signed it if it included a couple of lines about not deporting DREAMers. Ryan failed to get yes votes from 67 Republicans, so Nancy of the 4" heels gave him 73 Democrats to fill in the gap-- primarily Blue Dogs and New Dems from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party, who were happy, happy to once again vote for the Republican position... but not entirely.

Crap congressmembers like Josh Gottheimer (Blue Dog-NJ), Ami Bera (New Dem-CA), Darren Soto (New Dem-FL), Tom O'Halleran (Blue Dog-AZ), Stephanie Murphy (Blue Dog-FL), Jim Himes (New Dem-CT), Charlie Crist (Blue Dog-FL), Vicente Gonzalez (Blue Dog-TX), Kathleen Rice (New Dem-NY), Cheri Bustos (Blue Dog-IL), Terri Sewell (New Dem-AL), Kyrsten Sinema (Blue Dog-AZ), Gerry Connolly (New Dem-VA), Annie Kuster (New Dem-NH), Suzan DelBene (New Dem-WA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (New Dem-DE), Salud Carbajal (New Dem-CA), Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX), Derek Kilmer (New Dem-WA) made it possible to pass thing thing.

So what's the big deal? Pramila Jayapal, who represents Seattle in Congress explained exactly what the big deal is:

This was a difficult night. And it will be a difficult several weeks as 800,000 Dreamers once again weep and fear deportation. Tonight, Republicans refused to give the same simple assurance that Senate Majority Leader McConnell gave: that we would have a fair process and a vote on a bipartisan, bicameral, permanent solution for Dreamers.

It is true that there were many important priorities addressed in this bill,  from opioid funding to community health centers. However, all the good in the world cannot erase the betrayal of the Dreamers, young people who are as American as all of us.  Immigration has never been simply a policy discussion. It has always been about who we are as a country and what we are willing to stand up for. Without a clear agreement on Dreamers, I simply could not vote for this bill.

  Donald Trump created the crisis of Dreamers when he played to a small minority of his base and rescinded DACA. He made them deportable, then urged Congress to fix his mess. He made agreements that he then did not keep, including that he would sign any bipartisan deal that was brought to him. He has been given multiple opportunities to do so and has refused them all.

  But make no mistake, the current failure to bring a Dreamer bill to the floor lies at the feet of Speaker Paul Ryan. Tonight, he implied that he would tackle this issue immediately.  It’s our job to hold him and the Republican majority accountable to that.

And for primaries leading up to November's midterms? The New Dems and the Blue Dogs generally stick together as adjuncts to the Republicans when they're needed. They may tell you they would have voted NO-- but history shows that isn't the case. Whatever you do, do NOT vote for a Blue Dog. Do not vote for a New Dem... unless you think Congress needs another member from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party. So how do you know who's a New Dem and who's a Blue Dog? The candidates know how toxic that is in a primary, so they never admit it until after the primaries. That's one endorsement you never find on their websites.

Here are the candidates who have been officially endorsed so far this cycle by the New Dems-- avoid, avoid, avoid:

• Ann Kirkpatrick (Tucson)
• Greg Stanton (Phoenix)
• Dave Min (Orange Co.)
• Harley Rouda (Orange Co.)
• Hans Keirstead (Orange Co.)
• Lauren Baer (Palm Beach Co)
• Jason Crow (suburban Denver)
• Paul Davis (Topeka)
• Elissa Slotkin (Lansing)
• Angie Craig (Twin Cities southern suburbs)
• Dean Phillips (Twin Cities westren suburbs)
• Dean McCready (Charlotte)
• Brad Ashford (Omaha)
• Mikie Sherrill (Morris, Essex counties)
• Max Rose (Staten Island, Brooklyn)
• Anthony Brindisi (North Country)
• Susie Lee (Southern Clark County)
• Chrissy Houlahan (Philly suburbs)
• Jana Lynne Sanchez (Arlington/Ft Worth)
• Jay Hulings (South Texas)
• Ben McAdams (Salt Lake suburbs)
• R.D. Huffstettler (Southside)
• Dan Kohl (Oshkosh, Sheboygan)

And the Blue Dogs, most of whom have also been endorsed by the New Dems, Some say they're worse than the New Dems but they really are just the same garbage:

• Brad Ashford (Omaha)
• Anthony Brindisi (North Country)
• Paul Davis (Topeka)
• Gretchen Driskell (southern Michigan)
• R.D. Huffstettler (Southside)
• Jay Hulings (South Texas)
• Brendan Kelly (southwest Illinois)
• Ben McAdams (Salt Lake suburbs)
• Dean McCready (Charlotte)
• Max Rose (Staten Island, Brooklyn)

You may say they're better than an actual Republican but that argument doesn't hold up in primary season. Like I said... avoid, avoid, avoid.

There's quite a bit of buzz in California right now about a Facebook post by Fran Sdao, the very shady chair of the Orange County Democratic Party who is trying to stampede Democrats into voting for the conservative candidates the establishment backs-- Dave Min (CA-45), Hans Keirstead (CA-48) and Mike Levin (CA-49) even before the primary. It’s as if no one learned the lessons from Debbie Wasserman Shultz and how badly that turned out (for everyone but Donald Trump). The argument isn't even valid, since one of the Republicans, Greg Raths, isn't even running for Congress, but for the Board of Equalization. What a mess! Sdao should be removed immediately.


UPDATE: One Bad New Dem:

Darren Soto who likes to make a big deal about being a Puerto Rican in Orlando, although he doesn't actually do anything substantive for the Puerto Rican community in Orlando. His excuse for voting with the Republicans this morning was that there was money in the bill for Puerto Rico. But progressive Puerto Rican members José Serrano (D-NY), Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) and Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) all voted no. And in case Soto couldn't understand why, Gutiérrez was very outspoken about it. Fact of the matter was that Soto made a great show of giving a seat at Trump's State of the Union address to a DREAMer... and then promptly threw him under a bus-- or, more to the point, onto a bus.

You Want Candidates Who Will Vote With Republicans Against The DREAMers? Vote For New Dems And Blue Dogs

Breitbart appears frightened that Señor Trumpanzee could abandon Stephen's racism and xenophobia for something more pragmatic. They were calling him "Amnesty Don" Thursday morning (above) but appear to have changed the headline slightly by afternoon (below). But they're still whining about the DREAMers, as you can see. This is what one of the Breitbart Nazis had to say "President Trump told mainstream media reporters on Wednesday that he was open to breaking his immigration commitment by giving a pathway to U.S. citizenship to nearly 800,000 illegal aliens shielded from deportation by the President Obama-created Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In statements outside the White House, Trump told the Associated Press (AP) that he would be open to giving U.S. citizenship to DACA illegal aliens, saying 'It’s going to happen.'" They fumed over AP's report that Señor Trumpanzee said "he’s open to a pathway to citizenship for hundreds of thousands of young people who were brought to the country as children and are now here illegally. Trump told reporters, 'We’re going to morph into it. It’s going to happen, at some point in the future, over a period of 10 to 12 years.' Trump was talking about the young immigrants who had been protected from deportation and given the right to work legally in the country under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program."

DREAMers weren't overjoyed by Trump's announcement, basically because the Stephen Miller framework he got Trump to put on the table is so onerous. Greisa Martinez Rosas, Advocacy Director for United We Dream and potential beneficiary of the Dream Act, said:

“Let’s call this proposal for what it is: a white supremacist ransom note. Trump and Stephen Miller killed DACA and created the crisis that immigrant youth are facing. They have taken immigrant youth hostage, pitting us against our own parents, Black immigrants and our communities in exchange for our dignity.”

“To Miller and Trump’s white supremacist proposal, immigrant youth say: No.

“With each passing day, immigrant youth are losing their livelihoods and are at risk of deportation. People like Eric, Yuridia, and Damaris could soon face the same fate as Luis, who was kicked in the head by deportation agents and confined in a detention camp.

“But our fear, our pain, and our lives must not be used to shackle our parents and ban those seeking refuge; we must not be used to tear apart the moral fabric of this country. For months, we have organized and mobilized the country to demand a common sense solution that delivers protection without harming others: the Dream Act.”

“So let us be clear: any politician who backs up this ransom note is enabling Trump and Miller’s white supremacist agenda.

“Members of Congress of conscience must make the moral choice to reject this white supremacist proposal and pass legislation that protects us without harming others. Dream Act now.”

Earlier this week the whole Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- the Blue Dogs and New Dems-- abandoned the DREAMers and voted with the Republicans. In case you're wondering, the New Dems have endorsed 23 candidates so far this cycle:

• Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ)
• Greg Stanton (AZ)
• Dave Min (CA)
• Harley Rouda (CA)
• Hans Keirstead (CA)
• Lauren Baer (FL)
• Jason Crow (CO)
• Paul Davis (KS)
• Elissa Slotkin (MI)
• Angie Craig (MN)
• Dean Phillips (MN)
• Dan McCready (NC)
• Brad Ashford (NE)
• Mikie Sherrill (NJ)
• Max Rose (NY)
• Anthony Brindisi (NY)
• Susie Lee (NV)
• Chrissie Houlahan (PA)
• Jana Lynne Sanchez (TX)
• Jay Hulings (TX)
• Ben McAdams (UT)
• RD Huffstetler (VA)
• Dan Kohl (WI)

They didn't get a chance to vote but the organization they each sought and got an endorsement from sure did. If you help elect them, they will be on the wrong side of every vote in Congress that means anything. In the words of CREDO Political Director Murshed Zaheed, "Not surprisingly, a racist immigration fantasy masked as a proposal from a racist White House is a white supremacist’s wish list. It goes without saying that {President} Donald Trump’s Stephen Miller’s racist immigration proposal should be dead on arrival in Congress. The negotiators in Congress should work to enact a clean DREAM Act without a single compromise to Republicans’ nativist agenda. Time is up. Congress must pass the DREAM Act now."

Four candidates Blue America likes a lot Antoinette Sedillo Lopez in Albuquerque, Mary Matiela in Tucson, Nina Ahmad in Philly and Ricardo Franco, the progressive running for the Devin Nunes seat in the Central Valley, both shared their perspectives with us. Antoinette: "The Trump/Stephen Miller proposal is a repudiation of some of the most important principles that this country holds dear. I don't believe  that the American people will sell out our values and accept the militarization of our country’s borders with an enormous ICE presence acting to remove immigrants and, of course, sowing fear and discord in our communities. I don't believe that Americans are willing to pay for a $25 billion wall that is simply a hateful symbol and will not have any tangible positive effect on our country. Family unification has been a bedrock principle of immigration law because families are foundational to building our society; eliminating this policy would betray our values. Poll after poll shows that most Americans support DREAMers, young people who do not belong to any other country but ours, where they have grown up and continue to contribute. Anything less than a clean Dream Act betrays our values of inclusion and compassion.  This proposal is an embarrassment, and it should be rejected by all who are willing to stand up to this President’s divisive agenda. We all should stand strong against this hateful proposal."

Mary Matiela, the best of the candidates running to replace Martha McSally in Tucson: "No doubt, Dreamers have contributed to this country-- they are doctors, nurses, soldiers, builders, painters, etc. Dreamers are our colleagues, our neighbors, and our family-- we cannot, must not abandon them. Trump's plan, where the pathway to citizenship evolves over 15 years, is deceitful and cruel; we must reject it! Legislators must urgently work on a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, i.e., not by February 8."

The most recent Blue America endorsee, Nina Ahmad, came to the U.S. from Bangladesh and has made her life into a stunning success story that has been a big boon for our country and for Philadelphia. Yesterday she said that "Once again, we see President Trump using DREAMers as a bargaining chip rather than treating them as the human beings they are. The DREAM Act is a popular piece of legislation that should have been passed years ago. As an immigrant, I hope Democrats reject the premise that this is a compromise and focus on the humanity of immigrants and their families. We can do better than what Trump has proposed."

And Ricardo Franco, who's starting to get some real traction against Nunes: "From my years in business I know that you don't bargain or argue over something that has consensus or unanimous support. More than 85% of the country believes our DACA recipients should stay.  Only Trump and career politicians disconnected from the lives of their constituents would ever think bargaining over something like this is reasonable. I have sat in the homes of people who are threatened by the loss of DACA and shared their fear. Passing a clean DREAM act is a matter of life and death to many of our constituents. How ignorant must a legislator be to not understand this?  We can no longer tolerate any members of Congress that don't take this and other issues with the respect and seriousness that humanity commands."

And New York state's Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, said that since Trumpanzee "abruptly ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program last September, DREAMers have been left in fear and uncertainty. Every day, an estimated 122 DACA recipients lose their protections from deportation, resulting in thousands of young people facing threat of separation from their families and friends since Trump’s devastating decision. Over 40,000 DREAMers are New Yorkers, and I’m keeping up the legal fight to protect them from this administration’s harmful and unlawful actions against them. But leaders in Washington, D.C. have the opportunity to solve this problem and prevent additional young people from losing their protections right now by passing the bipartisan DREAM Act. While I’m fighting in the courts... Each day that passes without a legislative, long-term solution for DREAMers leaves many to wonder if and when they’ll be forced back to a country they do not know, in many cases countries where their health and safety are at risk. President Trump promised to have 'heart' when it came to defending DREAMers, but so far he’s failed to deliver, instead choosing to blow up negotiations with Congressional leaders and hold DREAMers hostage while he demands billions of dollars in funding for his border wall... No matter what happens, I will continue to fight for DREAMers’ right to stay here in the country they call home."

The Ugly Racist Fake President Who Wants To Deport People Of Color

Neither Will Hurd (R-TX) nor Pete Aguilar (New Dem-CA) are very popular in their districts and, frankly, neither deserves reelection. A Democrat is likely to beat Hurd, although the DCCC and the Castro Machine have its fingers on the scale for a worthless Blue Dog in South Texas. And it will take some time before a progressive is in position to primary Aguilar in the Inland Empire. They’re both useless back-benchers from overwhelmingly Hispanic districts and this week they co-sponsored a DACA compromise-- a “discussion draft” ahead of Trump’s January 19 deadline. On Monday, CNN reported that “the bill would offer qualifying individuals the ability to get in line for a green card and eventual citizenship after years of conditional residency, provided they meet certain requirements, including a background check and work, education or military service requirements. The bill doesn't make explicit reference to sponsoring relatives, but the bill summary notes that existing law would prohibit parents of these individuals who came to the US illegally to apply for a visa to come back without returning to their home country for at least 10 years before applying and the bill does nothing to erase that requirement. That addresses ‘chain migration,’ or family-based migration, that Trump says he wants to cut.”

Hard to imagine a Democrat would sign onto this Republican perspective? Remember-- Peter Aguilar comes from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party. Nor was he even a Democrat before the DCCC pushed him into the seat he now occupies.

Meanwhile, also on Monday, the Trump Regime set the field for deporting 200,000 El Salvadoran residents.

The Trump administration said Monday it is ending special protections for Salvadoran immigrants, an action that could force nearly 200,000 to leave the U.S. by September 2019 or face deportation.

El Salvador is the fourth country whose citizens have lost Temporary Protected Status under President Donald Trump. Salvadorans have been, by far, the largest beneficiaries of the program, which provides humanitarian relief for foreigners whose countries are hit with natural disasters or other strife.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen's decision, while not surprising, will send shivers through parts of Washington, Los Angeles, New York, Houston and other metropolitan areas that are home to large numbers of Salvadorans. They have enjoyed special protection since earthquakes struck the Central American country in 2001, and many have established deep roots in the U.S., starting families and businesses.

The action also produces a serious challenge for El Salvador, a country of 6.2 million people whose economy counts on money sent by wage earners in the U.S. Over the past decade, growing numbers of Salvadorans-- many coming as families or unaccompanied children-- have entered the United States illegally through Mexico, fleeing violence and poverty.

In September 2016, the Obama administration extended protections for 18 months, saying El Salvador suffered lingering harm from the 2001 earthquakes that killed more than 1,000 people and was temporarily unable to absorb such a large number of returning people.

…Salvadoran immigrant Orlando Zepeda, who came to the U.S. in 1984 to flee civil war, said he wasn't surprised by Monday's decision given the administration's position on other countries. Still, that doesn't make it any easier for the 51-year-old Los Angeles-area man who works in building maintenance and has two American-born children.

"It's sad, because it's the same story of family separation from that time, and now history repeats itself with my children," Zepeda said in Spanish.

Now, he hopes that U.S. lawmakers might pass a bill giving Salvadorans like him a more lasting solution in the United States.

Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said it was "a cruel and heartless decision by a cruel and heartless president."

"By targeting those who were driven from their homes by environmental catastrophe and violence in El Salvador, Donald Trump is tearing more working families apart-- putting their lives at risk, threatening our economy and turning his back on the values that have made America great," Perez said.

Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who services on the House Judiciary Committee and on the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, responded quickly to Trump’s latest assault against immigrant families:

“The administration has dealt a blow to the moral backbone of our nation by forcing 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants to leave a country they’ve called home for years. It is unfathomable that the administration would deport people back to one of the most dangerous parts of the world. In 2016, El Salvador and its capital were named the world’s most violent country and most homicidal city, respectively. El Salvador’s homicide rate is more than 17 times the global average.

  “When it comes to the rights and lives of immigrants, we cannot be silent. Defending Temporary Protected Status to protect those fleeing war, disease, and natural disasters is a priority that crosses party lines and political barriers. Last year, I joined my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to introduce the ASPIRE TPS Act that would help bring justice for immigrants who are  deeply woven into the fabric of our society.

“Even though the Trump Administration has made clear its disdain toward immigrants of color, it is my hope that Congress will protect our moral conscience and move to save Temporary Protected Status for the hundreds of thousands of people who rely on it.”

Tuesday, federal judge William Alsup (san Francisco) temporarily blocked Trump from ending DACA while litigation is ongoing. Apparently, at least DACA recipients who failed to renew their status by last year’s deadline will have a chance to submit renewal applications.

I just got back from Thailand and on the plane home last night Marie Newman sent me some incredible polling that was done among voters in her primary against right-wing Blue Dog Dan Lipinski in her Chicagoland district. The district went for Bernie by 8 points in the primary and then gave Hillary a 15 point landslide against Trump in the general. So is it any wonder that voters strongly prefer electing a progressive leader to represent them in Congress (55%) over someone like Lipinski who votes with Republicans (38%)? When voters are told about his voting record Marie beats him 39-34%. She e-mailed me about the new move against El Salvadoreans. "Trump's actions to dismantle families, their lives, their hopes and dreams are despicable. We need leaders who will have a backbone and stand up to Trump. This is why my race is heating up, my district finds congressman Lipinski's anti immigrant votes and values disgusting."

Meanwhile Trump has been braying and threatening that there’ll be no deals on DREAMers or any other immigration issues unless Congress gives him the $18 billion for his boondoggle of a 316 mile border wall, a colossal waste of taxpayer money. I asked a few congressional candidates Blue America is supporting. In Houston, Hector Morales told us that after the announcement was made public, a former student, Javier, contacted me and said:'They have ended the TPS for my uncle. Now ICE is going to target him and idk what I can do. [I’m] worried that [Trump] is going to deport him and he's been here for 20 years. Please help us.' As a teacher, I was heartbroken. As a human being with family members who have been in similar situations, I was devastated. These are real people who have been in this country for two decades and made a life for themselves. Now overnight, their hard work will be erased. The sad truth is that the DACA and TPS situation will be horrendously politicized. The DCCC and DSCC will throw a 'progressive' label on the cause and send out yet another fundraising email to 'fight back.' Right wing conservatives will hide behind their wall of cowardice by saying those affected were never 'real Americans' and this is for 'security.' And at the end of the day, it’s people like Javier’s family and uncle who will pay the price for our broken political system. But hey-- I’m sure it’ll make for a great news cycle.

Ricardo Franco is the progressive facing off against Devin Nunes in the Central Valley. Last night he told us that he "spent this past weekend in Tijuana on the border meeting with deported veterans. That's right: deported veterans. These are men and women that served our country in the military, some going back as far as the Vietnam War, and were tossed on the other side of the border wall like unwanted trash afterwards. We have some that have been deported for more than 20 years. A handful have already died waiting for a miracle to bring them back home. It is a shameful disgrace that our country treats its finest in that manner. Our current laws will not allow these war heroes home unless it is literally in a box or an urn. Our immigrants are the embodiment of the American Dream. Sadly, many people on the right don't want to listen to facts anymore which prove Trump's wall won't stop immigration and that immigrants provide a net-positive economic effect on this country. I'm done listening to people who want to project the blame of our own country's problems on the backs of the immigrants who put food on our tables, build a roof over our head and help raise our children. I will also not stand for the separation of families, either. We all know that children have a higher chance of success when they have both parents at home. It's time we rise up to be the country we are called upon to be and embrace immigrants as the best among us rather than creating a new generation of refugees in foreign countries the way Trump and Sessions would want. I have hugged homeless, deported veterans in Tijuana, marched with DREAMers and their families in Porterville and Lindsay, California, and watched young DACA recipients wonder in fear what will happen to them...or their parents. However, it is not fear nor sadness that is most evident in these groups, but rather a steadfast will to survive and prove themselves to the world. They are already fighting for our campaign because they know I will never stop fighting for them. We will fight, and we will win. We come from the same land as Chavez and Huerta. They carved a path towards prosperity and now a younger generation will pave it and keep it open. Our lives literally depend on it. ¡Si, se puede!"




UPDATE: Terrible News In Arizona... For The GOP

How do you find a Senate candidate even worse than Republican Kelli Ward and Blue Dog Kyrsten Sinema? The Arizona Republic opined yesterday that "A guy who was Donald Trump before Donald Trump was Donald Trump says he’s ready to represent the state of Arizona in Washington." Yep... Joe Arpaio, the 85 year old crooked Maricopa County sheriff declared he's running. What a cluster-fuck! "Arpaio couldn’t win re-election as sheriff in Republican-rich Maricopa County in 2016, when Donald Trump won Arizona. It seems doubtful to think that voters across the state will be running to polls to send him to the Senate."

If you’re the Democratic Party, the sun is surely shining upon you today.

Arpaio’s entry into the Senate race seems to boost Rep. Kyrsten Sinema's chances of becoming Arizona’s next senator-- the first Democrat to hold the post in 30 years. (Cue Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in a dead faint.)

“For the GOP, it’s a disaster if Arpaio wins,” said Republican Tyler Montague, who runs the Arizona Public Integrity Alliance. “His loss for the sheriff’s race is a bellwether for his Senate race in a general election.” ... [M]ake no mistake, with Arpaio in the race-- and Trump's endorsement, no doubt, on the way-- the primary is likely over.

...Arpaio would likely win the GOP primary-- or at least scare off the one Republican who could deny Sinema the seat. That would be Rep. Martha McSally... This, just as McSally appears to be preparing to announce her run Friday for the seat being vacated by Sen. Jeff Flake. She might want to rethink that. While she could likely beat former state Sen. Kelli Ward in a primary, she’d have a more difficult time in a three-way Republican race. Perhaps best to bide her time.

Which leaves us with Ward vs. Arpaio. Sorry, Kelli, but I’m betting that crafty beats kooky any day.

Arpaio, not Ward, gets Trump's nod.Arpaio may have been unmasked in Maricopa County, but he’s still a fundraising machine nationally. He’ll likely have the Donald seal of approval and he’ll be well funded-- just as Ward’s dreams of Steve Bannon delivering her the Mercer millions have gone up in smoke.

And there's more--much more: With Bannon kicked out of Breitbart, it seemed Trumpanzee was almost challenging him to do something about it-- "it" meaning Trump's evisceration of everything Bannon stood for in terms his xenophobic fascist/racist agenda. Yesterday-- on TV with congressional leaders from both parties-- Trumpanzee announced he's ready for a "clean" DACA deal and comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship. He has swung so far, in fact, that North Carolina neo-fascist and House Freedom Caucus chair Mark Meadows said Trump "could lose the conservative base... It’s untold damage that it would create among the conservative base." Trumpy-The-Clown nearly made Louie Gohmert cry on the House floor. And you can only imagine what Iowa Nazi Congressman Steve King is doing this morning! Trump said he'd take the heat-- that he likes taking the heat. #StableGenius, right? Ann Coulter seems kind of upset for some reason.

The Catholic Church Begs Mimi Walters And Ed Royce For Compassion

Earlier today, we looked at how Trump and Ryan are leading a war against Jesus' message to mankind. It looks like every Catholic pastor in CA-39 and CA-45 (mostly Orange County) is concerned about the same thing-- except they're focusing on Republican members of Congress Ed Royce and Mimi Walters, both lockstep rubber-stamps for Trump and Ryan. The Orange County Register piece over the weekend was devastating. All the pastors signed a letter to Walters and a letter to Royce about DREAMers-- and the letters were followed by Sunday sermons along the same lines. The sermons will be ongoing throughout Advent.

The bishops of the Diocese of Orange are calling on their clergy and parishioners to pray for the young undocumented immigrants, and to advocate for them with their elected leaders.

Catholic leaders see an urgency in finding a permanent solution to the plight of young people brought to the country illegally as children. Their temporary legal status through President Obama’s DACA program is being phased out under the Trump administration.

Led by bishops in Orange County, San Bernardino and the San Gabriel region, 26 pastors urged Walters (R-Laguna Beach) and Royce (R-Fullerton)-- both Catholics-- “to actively support” passage of legislation that would allow the children to have a path to citizenship.

“It is essential to move beyond general statements of support,” read the Dec. 1 open letter, signed by the pastors and Rev. Kevin Vann, bishop of Orange, Gerald Barnes, bishop of San Bernardino, and David O’Connell, auxiliary bishop in the San Gabriel region of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

The letter requests a meeting with the Republican leaders. It is the first time in recent memory that bishops and all pastors of an Orange County congressional district have called on legislators for action.

“It’s a somewhat unique letter,” said Greg Walgenbach, director of the Office of Life, Justice and Peace for the Diocese of Orange.

Walters, who has expressed sympathy toward DACA recipients, has seen an uptick in rallies calling for her to support one of the bills floating in Congress on the issue. Her vote is considered by some a key Republican swing vote.

Earlier this week, Walters signed a letter calling on Congress to pass legislation before the end of the year to protect those under DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

“I appreciate the passion that some members of the church have shown on this issue, and I share their urgency,” Walters said in an e-mail Friday to the Southern California News Group. “Caring for all of God’s children is at the core of our Catholic faith.

“DACA recipients enrich our community and are building their American dream,” she said. “That is why I signed a letter this week calling on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation that would allow DACA recipients to remain the United States, and continue their great contributions to Orange County.”

Royce could not be reached for comment Friday. He has previously said he supports legal residency but opposes including a path to citizenship.

Royce has been a target for years of immigrant-rights advocates, who regularly rally outside his Brea office. In 2013, some 1,500 Catholics prayed outside his closed office for the congressman to “have a change of heart” and support undocumented immigrants seeking citizenship.

As Catholics gather this month to celebrate the Christmas season, Orange County’s top bishops are calling on their pastors and congregants to pray for DACA youth and other immigrants.

A second letter, sent to parishes Friday, includes an Advent prayer which in part says: “Grant, O Lord, unto the leaders of the United States the wisdom and teachable spirit to recognize the good gifts that we receive from DACA youth and other immigrant Dreamers, the conviction to respect their life and dignity, and the courage to pass legislation to protect their stay here and offer a path to eventual citizenship.”

The same letter asks Catholics to contact their representatives, and includes a sample message. That letter was shared on the website of a national Catholic nonprofit that advocates for low-income immigrants and is headed by Bishop Vann.

Katie Porter is one of the two progressives taking on Mimi Walters. Katie told us "It's been three months since Donald Trump announced he would end protections for Dreamers and my Republican opponent Mimi Walters has continued to do nothing but offer empty platitudes. It's unacceptable. I have spent my career fighting for people who don’t have a voice in our system, and I intend to do the same in Congress by standing up for immigrant families. We must pass a clean Dream Act Now."

The other excellent progressive Democratic candidate running for the seat Mimi Walters is occupying is Kia Hamadanchy. Just a few hours ago he told us that "Right here in California’s 45th district, we have DREAMers who are doing nothing but chasing the American Dream-- whether it is as a student at UC Irvine or as an employee of a small business or tech startup. Mimi Walter’s inaction on behalf of her constituents has been so terrible that it took urging from every Catholic leader in the district to get her moving. That’s not leadership. It’s time for a Representative in CA-45 who actually cares about the people here and will really fight to protect our DREAMers."

Sam Jammal is the one non-multimillionaire running for the Orange County seat occupied by Ed Joyce. Recently Frank Schaeffer went to meet him and made this clip [below] about the race and about Sam-- a very different kind of person than Ed Royce. This morning Sam addressed the GOP's DREAMers problem. "DACA really comes down to what's right and what is wrong. It's a moral question. The right thing to do is give young people-- who only know this country and are doing everything right-- the chance at the American Dream. The wrong thing to do is fall in line with Trump and hardline anti-immigrant voices. Once again Ed is on the wrong side of the issue. Instead of focusing on what we can do to integrate immigrants and build up communities, he prefers to divide families and work against young people who are doing everything right, but have a President and politics seeking to do them wrong. Ed just doesn't share our values here in the 39th. We believe in the American Dream and are a welcoming community."

Sanders Hires Cesar Vargas, High-Profile DREAMer Activist, For Latino Outreach

Cesar Vargas in 2012: "An immigrant from Mexico who lived in the United States for most of his life without documentation will be allowed to practice law in New York, a Brooklyn appellate court ruled (source)."

by Gaius Publius

In another smart move, Bernie Sanders has hired Cesar Vargas, one of the highest-profile and best-respected DREAM activists, to engage with him in Latino outreach.

It's clear that whoever the Democratic nominee is, that person will have to win the Latino vote. It's also clear that the way the Republican party is performing on immigration, the Democratic nominee will do quite well in the general election.

But what about the primary contest? There's apparently a bit of a tussle among Latino activists about which candidate, Sanders or Clinton, is better for their community. Clinton, of course, has the implied or explicit endorsement of most of her party, including a number of prominent Latino politicians, like the Castro brothers — Julian Castro, former San Antonio mayor and current HUD Secretary, and Joaquín Castro, newly elected to the House of Representatives.

But Clinton has had her trouble, at least in the past (video at the link). She has since righted herself on the issue, staking out positions "to the left of President Obama." But I wouldn't count this part of the contest a foregone conclusion.

Cesar Vargas is one of the most prominent of the DREAM activists. Here's the announcement, along with an indication of why he joined with Sanders, from Huffington Post:

Prominent Dreamer Joins Bernie Sanders Campaign

The undocumented activist has been critical of Hillary Clinton.

Cesar Vargas, a leading undocumented activist, joined Sen. Bernie Sanders' campaign on Thursday, Vargas' advocacy group announced -- another sign the senator's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination is ramping up its efforts on immigration and the Latino vote.

Vargas is a co-founder of the Dream Action Coalition, which is led by young undocumented immigrants, or Dreamers. The group has been heavily critical of Republicans on immigration, but has also chastised President Barack Obama over deportations and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, one of Sanders' opponents, over donations from private prison lobbyists

Dream Action Coalition has applauded Sanders for his efforts to ban government contracts for private prison companies, which also operate many immigrant detention centers.

As Huffington Post points out, Clinton has also hired an activist from United We Dream, and as noted above, her positions go beyond what Obama is doing. Still, the issue of lobbyist influence on other policies of concern to the Latino community is being raised, especially her support from (and of?) the prison-for-profit industry:

The organization did not endorse Sanders (I-Vt.) but praised him in statements Thursday. Dream Action Coalition co-director Carlos Vargas said Sanders "is a strong choice: he is great on immigration in general, stood with us on the border children and he wants to get the Corrections Corporation of America, GEO Group and other corporations out of politics," referring to two major private prison companies.

"At the same time that Bernie is trying to chase them out of DC, Hillary is accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from GEO and CCA's registered lobbyists," he continued. "[O]ne day they will call in several hundred thousand dollars worth of favors and skew the discussion on immigration reform to keep their detention facilities full."

The Clinton campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on those donations.

Keep questions about for prison-for-profit support in mind as this primary battle unfolds. Neither candidate looks to be going away soon, which gives them plenty of time to gain leverage on their issues.

Targeting Nevada

One of the earliest Democratic primaries is Nevada, Saturday, February 20, third in the nation and less than two weeks after the New Hampshire primary. With at best an iffy contest for both candidates in Iowa and New Hampshire, a strong showing in Nevada would help with momentum going into the Southern contests.

In addition, Nevada and the Southwest in general have large Latino communities, among whom a variety of issues, such as imprisonment, can be expected to be debated. Don't forget that the notorious "papers please" law that Arizona passed, SB 1070, was heavily financed by the prison-for-profit industry.

Cesar Vargas is expected to be working for Sanders in Nevada. BuzzFeed:

Bernie Sanders continues to grow his Latino outreach staff, adding Cesar Vargas, a high-profile DREAMer activist who has fought for undocumented youth to be able to serve in the military and advocated for Obama’s executive actions on immigration last year.

Vargas, who will initially focus on Nevada, joins the growing Hispanic outreach team led by Arturo Carmona, who recently left advocacy organization Presente to serve in the role as well as the southwest political director.

Vargas, 31, will work to mobilize young voters, particularly in the Southwest, where Nevada is the third state on the Democratic nominating calendar.

A source with knowledge said Sanders’s campaign said they are excited about the hire because of Vargas place at the heart of the DREAMer movement, which will help build a bridge to young Hispanics.

Vargas, who has tried to become the first undocumented lawyer to practice in New York, joins Javier Gonzalez, who was named the Nevada state field director. Gonzalez previously worked in labor for the SEIU, on organizing efforts like the million people “negra marchas” — marches for immigration efforts — in 2006.

Reached for comment, Carmona said Gonzalez hire will help Sanders in Nevada.

“It’s a huge deal. Javier Gonzalez comes from a line of organizing that has amassed a number of political victories organizing Latinos, immigrants, janitors and undocumented immigrants,” he said of his work in California where they worked together.

BuzzFeed notes that while there's a great deal of progressive enthusiasm, "Clinton’s operation in Nevada features experienced operatives who have been in place since April and were part of Obama’s successful 2012 efforts in the state."

Name Recognition

One of the problems Sanders faces is name recognition. This is from Huffington Post again:

Sanders has said he is trying to increase his Latino outreach. An August Gallup poll found that only 25 percent of Latino voters were familiar with him, compared to 75 percent who were familiar with Clinton. ...

"What we are trying very, very hard to do -- you are going to see us moving very aggressively in that area -- is introduce myself to the Latino community," Sanders said at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's annual Public Policy Conference on Oct. 7. "I will fight for every vote I can get in the Latino community."

I don't doubt that. This is turning into the most interesting political campaigns of most of our lifetimes.

(Blue America has endorsed Bernie Sanders in this contest. If you like, you can help Sanders here; adjust the split any way you wish at the link.)

GP

Will Republicans Be Able To Deport Enough Hispanics To Win In 2016?

Alabama racist Mo Brooks would like to take away a little of Steve King's thunder to adorn his own Confederate glory. Last week, the House passed Brooks' latest anti-Hispanic scheme, 221-202, every Democrat voting NO and 20 Republicans abandoning the party's racist, anti-immigrant core. Brooks and his followers have voted to discourage the Pentagon from allowing DREAMERs and other undocumented immigrants from serving in the military.

Most of the Republicans who defied the dominant racist wing of the House GOP are in districts where such extremism and reactionary behavior endangers reelection bids. These were the Republican NO votes (bolded names are in districts with Latino populations of over 20%):

• Mike Coffman (R-CO)- D+1
• Carlos Curbelo (R-FL)- R+1
• Jeff Denham (R-CA)- R+1
• Charlie Dent (R-PA)- R+2
• Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)- R+5
• Bob Dold (R-IL)- D+8
• Chris Gibson (R-NY)- D+1
• Richard Hanna (R-NY)-R+3
• Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA)- R+2
• John Katko (R-NY)- D+5
• Adam Kinzinger (R-IL)- R+4
• Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ)- D+1
• Tom MacArthur (R-NJ)- R+1
• Martha McSally (R-AZ)- R+3
• Dan Newhouse (R-WA)- R+13
• Dave Reichert (R-WA)- R+1
• Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)- R+2
• Elise Stefanik (R-NY)- even PVI
• Fred Upton (R-MI)- R+1
• David Valadao (R-CA)- D+2

After the vote, Hillary Clinton's national political director, Amanda Renteria, said, "If these courageous young men and women want to serve, they should be honored and celebrated, not discriminated against... [W]hile we keep up the pressure for comprehensive action, allowing DREAMers to serve in the military is the right step forward."

Meanwhile, yesterday America's Voices pointed out that 69,000 Latinos and 16,000 Asian-Americans turn 18 every month-- and that's 4 million new voters combined between the 2012 and 2016 voting cycles. The significance in congressional races, though lost on the incompetent clods at the DCCC, can be huge. Just a few years ago, CA-25-- the Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Antelope Valley district where northern L.A. County meets Ventura County-- was considered safe for GOP incumbent Buck McKeon. Last year, demographics tipped the balance to the Democrats, who regularly win Hispanic-heavy Antelope Valley and who now hold a slight registration advantage for the entire district. CA-25 will now be won or lost based on voter turn-out activities, a weak point for a DCCC that has long forgotten how to win races beyond spending a ton of money on largely ineffective TV ads.

Six months ago, President Barack Obama announced several actions to improve America’s immigration system, including a program dubbed Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents, or DAPA. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, were scheduled to begin the implementation of DAPA today. This program would provide temporary relief from deportation and work authorization on a case-by-case basis to parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents who have been in the country for at least five years. The president also increased the age limit to qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA-- a program that protects undocumented individuals who entered the country at a young age, known as DREAMERs.

However, the implementation of DAPA has been blocked instead. In response to a lawsuit brought by Texas and other states, an ideologically motivated judge from one of the most conservative circuit courts in the country issued a preliminary injunction against DAPA. Today, in response to this deadlock, a coalition of faith, labor, business, and community groups will join public officials to demand an end to the lawsuit blocking the implementation of DAPA and DACA expansion, allowing the programs to move forward.

In addition to conservative opposition in the courts, congressional votes to terminate both DACA and DAPA have overwhelmingly split along party lines-- with Republicans trying to block these programs, while Democrats seek to preserve them. Those who oppose DAPA are ignoring the signifiant fiscal and economic benefits the program offers, as well as key electoral implications that have the potential to play a significant role in upcoming elections.

...Implementing DAPA is not only the right thing to do for families and the economy-- it also has key electoral implications. Reflective of the overall immigrant population, potential DAPA recipients are largely Latino and Asian immigrants along with a smaller but growing African immigrant population. Opponents of DAPA will likely alienate a critical and growing voting demographic within the United States while champions of the program are likely to engender significant support from these same voters.

There are 3.7 million individuals who would benefit from DAPA. Combined, these individuals have 5.5 million U.S. citizen children-- all of whom already are or will eventually become eligible to vote. If DAPA were implemented, these 5.5 million individuals would no longer have to fear that their parents could be detained or deported at any time. More than half a million of these children-- nearly 600,000-- are currently of voting age, and 1.7 million will be of voting age by the 2020 presidential election. These numbers could provide sizable contributions to the margin of victory in swing states. In Florida during the 2012 presidential election, for example, these new voters would have comprised 70 percent of the margin of victory; in North Carolina, they would have represented one-third of the margin of victory. These figures do not take into account other citizen members of “mixed-status” households that include DAPA-eligible individuals-- voters who would also feel the effect of DAPA implementation.

Demographers and electoral analysts know a lot about the electoral demographics of the Latino and Asian populations, and their voting power is felt-- and will continue to be felt-- across generations. In 2016, the voting eligible population will be 13 percent Latino and 7 percent Asian. Every month, nearly 69,000 Latinos and 16,000 Asian Americans turn 18 years old, resulting in more than 4 million new voters combined between 2012 and 2016. Of the new Latino voters, nearly 2 million are the children of immigrants. That means that at least 2 million people who personally understand the challenges and fears of having an immigrant parent will become part of the electorate in 2016. Over the course of the next five presidential elections, today’s citizen children of undocumented parents will have been able to cast nearly 11 million ballots. The intimate understanding of the immigrant experience is felt broadly in the Latino and immigrant communities: 16.6 million people have a family member who is undocumented, and nearly 60 percent of Latino registered voters of all ages said they knew family, friends, co-workers, or others who were undocumented.

As The White House Task Force on New Americans-- an interagency effort focusing on immigrant integration into American communities-- describes, USCIS adds approximately 700,000 naturalized citizens each year to the 19.3 million who were already living in the United States as of 2013, all of whom are eligible voters. Notably, naturalized immigrants and children of immigrants are more likely to vote than third-generation immigrants.

These voters and voters-to-be overwhelmingly support DAPA. Polls find that 89 percent of Latinos support these deferred actions. Additionally, 65 percent of Asian Americans polled in 11 states support executive actions on immigration. And support is not just limited to Latinos and Asian Americans: Americans favor the DAPA policy by a 76 percent to 19 percent margin.

One racist Republican who has consistently refused to back the legitimate aspirations of Latinos and who could lose his seat in 2016 is Blake Farenthold, who represents the area around Corpus Christi (TX-27) and the coastal suburbs almost all the way to Houston. Gerrymandering was supposed to make Farenthold safe, but demographics have created a 50% Hispanic district. In fact, 45% of the voters are Latino and 60.5% of the newly eligible voters in the district are Asian, Latino and immigrants. 77% of the district supports comprehensive immigration reform.

Even Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy finds himself in an increasingly untenable situation. His Central Valley/Bakersfield district still has a strong Republican PVI (R+16, which will probably be reduced this year to R+12), but the Latino voter percentage has continued to grow and was already 30.9% in 2014. 76% of likely voters in the district tell pollsters they support comprehensive immigration reform, which McCarthy doesn't. Newly eligible voters in the district are overwhelmingly Asian, Latino and immigrants (52.6%).