'Democrats for Border Security' task force seeks to redefine the party on immigration
A new group of House Democrats is pressing their party and President Joe Biden to focus on border security in the 2024 elections.
WASHINGTON — A newly formed group of House Democrats is seeking to shift the party's positioning on immigration to the center and address a major vulnerability for President Joe Biden that could shape his prospects for re-election this fall.
The “Democrats for Border Security” task force is co-chaired by Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who represents a border district, and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., who flipped a Republican-held swing district after he campaigned on his support for tougher border laws.
One thing they have in common: They're fed up with the party's leftward turn on immigration over the last decade and want a course change to emphasize enforcement. Cuellar's calls for tougher immigration laws date back years. Then Suozzi successfully deployed it in the suburbs of New York. They both say Democrats must do the same to win competitive House districts and defeat former President Donald Trump this November.
“I think it’s a pretty good pathway for Democrats. Don’t cede the narrative to Republicans when it comes to border security," Cuellar said in an interview. “It doesn’t matter if we’re Hispanics. We want to see order. We want to see security."
A late-January NBC News poll found that Trump has a 35-point advantage over Biden among voters asked who they believe would do a better job at "securing the border and controlling immigration." Trump and Republicans are putting a heavy emphasis on a border crackdown as their pitch to voters in the election.
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