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Four years ago, immigration took center stage on the third night of the Democratic National Convention, as Americans heard a range of personal stories about how Trump-era policies were disrupting the lives of immigrants and their families.
An 11-year-old girl Read a letter to Donald Trump; The Trump administration deported her mother two years ago. An undocumented mother Narrative How she crossed the border illegally to seek better medical care for her baby daughter — “When we got to the river, I lifted her out of the water and we crossed,” she said on national television. She wasn’t the first undocumented immigrant to speak at the Democratic National Convention, but she was the first non-Dreamer — and, more controversially, the first to cross the border as an adult.
Four years later, the DNC sounded very different, reflecting that overall public opinion of immigration has soured as concerns about border security have grown. Gone were the heartfelt testimonies from undocumented immigrants, repudiations of Trump-era policies and calls for better treatment of immigrants and expanded asylum protections. Instead, speakers Wednesday night supported stricter policies for asylum seekers, praised Joe Biden for trying to negotiate a bipartisan border security bill and acknowledged Realistic changes in immigration policy Since the outbreak of the epidemic.
In other words, the Democratic speech on immigration and the border will look very different than it did at the 2012, 2016, or 2020 conventions — because the reality and public perception have changed dramatically, too.
This year, the plight of immigrants seems less of a concern
Unlike last month’s Republican convention in Milwaukee, no one in Chicago this week was waving “Immediate Mass Deportations” signs or talking about “Invasion” or “massacre” on the southern border. But it’s easy to overlook the Democratic Party’s rightward shift in recent years, given the party’s often extreme rhetoric and consistent anti-immigrant stance over the past two decades.
In past conventions, Democrats have focused heavily on the plight of young immigrants and immigrant families — whether families torn apart by immigration policies, young undocumented Dreamers who have fought and succeeded in the United States, or activists working for immigration reform.
For example, in 2012, Benita Veliz, a Dreamer from San Antonio, Texas, became First undocumented person to speak at a national party political convention — told millions of viewers how she graduated with honors and earned a dual degree in college but narrowly escaped deportation for a traffic violation. As a Dreamer, she praised Obama’s deportation protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Four years later, Another dreamer Will deliver the keynote address at Hillary Clinton’s convention along with First Lady Michelle Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders. Astrid Silva Will tell She tells the story of coming to the United States with her mother at the age of 4, crossing the Rio Grande on a raft with only “a little baby”.
The year 2020 has been filled with comparisons to Trump and the human suffering he has brought during his presidency.
On Wednesday night, speakers balanced two messages: Democrats, unlike Republicans, are not anti-immigrant — they value diversity and believe in treating immigrants humanely — but they understand the need for reform and increased security. They began to sound like the fictional vice president in the HBO series Captain America. Vice PresidentWHO once Describes the need Reform, reaffirmation and exclusion migrant.
On Wednesday night, some DREAM members did receive 50 Seconds Opportunity Support Kamala Harris and push for DACA protections. In nearly every biographical segment about Harris, or mention of her upbringing, her parents’ immigrant life stories take center stage. But there was little wholehearted acceptance of immigration this week, and little welcoming of economic immigrants seeking a “better life,” as past conventions have done. That’s because the reality has changed.
Public sentiment Now we are strongly against all kinds of immigration.As I Explained beforethis transformation was rapid and continuous:
According to the survey, the percentage of Americans who want to reduce immigration has increased significantly since 2020, from 28% in mid-2020 to 55% in June 2024. Gallup poll data.
These analysts note that 2024 marks the first time since 2005 that a majority of the American public wants less immigration, and that anti-immigrant sentiment is at its highest point since 2001, when the U.S. experienced another round of anti-immigrant fervor following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
These shifts are also occurring across all sectors of the electorate, not just white voters. Non-white Voters, especially Latino voter More likely People want less immigration now than in the past, and anti-immigrant sentiment is rising among all party groups, including Democrats.
This changing reality also explains the DNC’s immigration plan choices.
Latino Democrats try to paint Republicans as soft on border
While it’s not unique to them, a handful of Latino Democrats have taken on the task of promoting the party’s tough image on the border. Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the highest-ranking Latino in Congress, called Harris pro-immigration and pro-border security: “Under President Harris’ leadership, we can and will do both. As a prosecutor, she took down transnational gangs and cartels. As president, she will fight for a pathway to citizenship.”
Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto echoed that sentiment, praising Harris for her past prosecutions of drug smugglers and human traffickers. Bexar County, Texas, Sheriff Javier Salazar criticized Trump for undermining Biden’s border deal, saying Trump “made our jobs more difficult.”
The comments could be a sign that Harris will continue to position herself as a moderate, swing and less concerned voter. Immigration policy and border security are her biggest weaknesses, and Republicans are quick to Tend to mislead attacks about her role in handling diplomatic relations with Latin American countries, and blamed her for a surge in cross-border traffic in the first three years of the Biden administration (although the surge has slowed significantly in recent months).
Still, the direction of the Democratic Party was clear throughout the evening: Gone are the days of the Obama and Clinton eras that cast the party as an unambiguously pro-immigrant party. It is also clear thatThe 2024 party platform supports faster deportations of economic migrants and stricter asylum rules — including halting the ability to process those asylum claims. It’s unclear whether those policies would help deter or slow future migration, legal or not, but for now, Democrats can report some results. After record-breaking encounters with migrants at the southern border, the number of crossings has fallen each of the past five months, according to statistics provided to USA TODAY by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This weekThe Department of Homeland Security attributes part of the blame to the government’s increased sanctuary and deterrence efforts — but it’s unclear whether the public is aware of these trends.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of 2024 will sound very different than it did in 2020 — when none of these more stringent proposals appeared in the party’s platform.
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