Trump's immigration opening falls flat with key audience - Democrats

[webfact]

Trump's immigration opening falls flat with key audience - Democrats

By Richard Cowan

REUTERS

 

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his first address to a joint session of Congress from the floor of the House of Representatives iin Washington, U.S., February 28, 2017. REUTERS/Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's signal of a new openness to immigration reform in a speech to the U.S. Congress did little to win over Democrats who would be essential to revamping the nation's immigration laws.

 

Any goodwill Trump may have sparked with his mention of a chance for "real and positive immigration reform" in Tuesday's speech, his first to a joint session of Congress, was soon dashed by rhetoric that Democrats said tarred and misrepresented most immigrants.

 

"The speech he gave was one of the most anti-immigrant speeches that we heard any president ever give," Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer said on Wednesday.

 

What offended Democrats, a minority in both chambers, was Trump's reference to past incidents in which one illegal immigrant "viciously gunned down" two California law enforcement officers and another "viciously murdered" a 17-year-old boy.

 

Trump built a base of support for his 2016 presidential campaign by vowing to fight illegal immigration, including a pledge to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. On becoming president in January, he immediately issued a temporary visa ban against seven Muslim-majority countries, later blocked by federal courts. He also suspended a refugee programme and initiated tougher deportation procedures.

 

Major immigration reform efforts failed in Congress under Trump's predecessors, Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican George W. Bush, because of deep divisions among lawmakers and Americans over the issue.

 

The challenges include how to protect illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children, and how to deal long-term with the estimated 11 million people living in the country without proper documentation.

 

Legislation putting illegal immigrants in line for citizenship threatens to alienate Trump's core conservative voters.

 

Trump said in his speech that reform was possible if both Democrats and Republicans were willing to compromise.

 

CONVERSATIONS

 

Even before Tuesday's address, immigration reform-minded Republicans and Democrats in Congress were holding informal lunches and dinners, as well as conversations on the floors of the House of Representatives and Senate about the possibility of Trump eventually moderating his stance.

 

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus will meet on Thursday and discuss how, or whether, to react to Trump's signal of openness to reform at a time when a feeling of "fear and hopelessness" pervades Latino communities, one House Democratic aide said.

 

Republican Representative Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, a leading voice for overhauling immigration laws, hoped that once the White House dealt with healthcare and tax reforms this year, Trump might tackle vexing immigration problems.

 

"Remember that old adage that only Nixon could go to China," said Diaz-Balart, a self-described optimist and son of Cuban immigrants who has laboured for years over immigration laws.

 

He was referring to Richard Nixon, who in 1972 became the first U.S. president to visit the People's Republic of China despite having built his political career as the arch-enemy of communist governments.

 

COMPROMISE

 

After Tuesday's speech, a major change in tone will likely be needed for Democrats to engage with Republicans.

 

Democratic Representative Luis Gutierrez of Illinois challenged Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who have both taken a hard line on illegal immigration, to pledge support for immigration reform.

 

"Absent that, I don't believe a thing (they) have to say" on the administration's interest in reforming immigration law, Gutierrez told reporters. Gutierrez is of Puerto Rican descent and has worked in the past with Republicans on immigration legislation.

 

Some prominent Republicans said progress on the first major immigration reform since 1986 was still possible.

 

Senator John McCain of Arizona, who helped win Senate passage in 2013 of a sweeping bipartisan immigration law rewrite that subsequently died in the House, said of Trump's upbeat remarks: "I would hope that would open the door for negotiations and support" for legislation.

 

Senator Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican who joined with McCain and others in 2013, said if there was an opportunity to go forward, Trump would likely want to pair bills that would be supported by opposing sides in the immigration debate.

 

For example, Flake speculated, the president might support putting into law temporary protections shielding "dreamers" from deportation - people who entered the United States as children. In return, conservatives could win new legislation on border security or "expedited deportations," he said, a trade-off Democrats might not want to make.

 

(Editing by Nick Tattersall and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-02

[Emster23]

Stats show that immigrants are far less likely to commit crimes than native born Americans. Trump likes "proof by anecdote or example. As far as "bad guys out" 1/4 of those kicked out already have not done any crime in USA, other than coming in illegally. Heck his wife should be kicked out as first time she came to US she worked without work permit.

[Stargeezr]

I thiught his speech was pretty good, at least he did not give more promises.

I thought that the Democrats in the audience were looking like a bunch of third

graders that just failed a major test. They had better get used to being out of power.

Pathetic looking bunch.

Geezer

[ilostmypassword]

4 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

I thiught his speech was pretty good, at least he did not give more promises.

I thought that the Democrats in the audience were looking like a bunch of third

graders that just failed a major test. They had better get used to being out of power.

Pathetic looking bunch.

Geezer

All of us should be grateful that Republicans didn't behave the same way when Obama gave his speeches. All of us in Oppositeland, that is.

[rijb]

So much for Obama's legacy of taking the high road.  

[ilostmypassword]

46 minutes ago, rijb said:

So much for Obama's legacy of taking the high road.  

And Trump was doing such a good job following Obama's lead.

[rijb]

Obama and Trump both share a legacy now.  Destroying the Democratic Party.  Ouch!

 

And Hillary's legacy is to get a bunch of women to wear bad-looking white pantsuits.  

 

 

Edited March 2, 2017 by rijb

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

I thiught his speech was pretty good, at least he did not give more promises.

I thought that the Democrats in the audience were looking like a bunch of third

graders that just failed a major test. They had better get used to being out of power.

Pathetic looking bunch.

Geezer

Democrats will be getting used to being out of power (no choice) but we don't have to LIKE it and we still get to voice dissent. 

Edited March 2, 2017 by Jingthing

[ilostmypassword]

33 minutes ago, rijb said:

Obama and Trump both share a legacy now.  Destroying the Democratic Party.  Ouch!

 

And Hillary's legacy is to get a bunch of women to wear bad-looking white pantsuits.  

 

 

You mean in an election where more Americans voted for the Democratic candidate.  

And given your comments about Clinton's attire, I'd guess you're okay with Trumps p**sy grabbing comments.  Which is why demographically people who share your views are electorally doomed in the very near future.

[rijb]

33 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

You mean in an election where more Americans voted for the Democratic candidate.  

And given your comments about Clinton's attire, I'd guess you're okay with Trumps p**sy grabbing comments.  Which is why demographically people who share your views are electorally doomed in the very near future.

One of your many posts with silly assumptions.  You really don't have a clue.  

Edited March 2, 2017 by rijb

[Scott]

Continue with the off-topic trolling and deflections and you will get a suspension.  

[Rhys]

Make America Great again, 45 resign.

 

[hawker9000]

9 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

I thiught his speech was pretty good, at least he did not give more promises.

I thought that the Democrats in the audience were looking like a bunch of third

graders that just failed a major test. They had better get used to being out of power.

Pathetic looking bunch.

Geezer

These are dems.  There's absolutely nothing Donald is ever going to be able to do to win them over.  He shouldn't waste his time in such foolishness.  The amnesty thing was an extremely bad idea that's only going to drive a wedge into his own support base if he pursues it at all (and the reaction he got should persuade him not to). 

[tuktuktuk]

It's a bad time to be a Democrat.