7 upvotes, 2 direct replies (showing 2)
To me, this is why the Trump fearmongering position is so frustrating. You're absolutely right and that creates a legitimate complex issue to discuss. How many people should we be letting in the country? Is the current amount the right amount? What should the application process look like? Should it favor certain countries or classes of immigrants over others? What should enforcement policies look like? What are penalties for violations and how are they assessed?
But we don't talk about any of that because "they're eating the cats and dogs" and all of a sudden, the rhetoric is turned up so high that both sides dig in and escalate and it becomes a culture war issue.
This is a topic I legit think most Americans can basically agree on the basics of. No one serious is saying let everyone in. No one serious is saying let no one in. We're all in the same ballpark. We just need to hammer out the details.
But that's impossible for now.
Comment by goldplatedboobs at 24/01/2025 at 23:50 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Trump's fearmongering position worked; it's part of why he won. I feel you should be more frustrated by the fact that there's very little alignment between parties in the American population regarding sensible border policy.
There absolutely IS a discussion to be had regarding the immigration rates and most Americans do agree that border security is important and most also agree that immigration is important as well. However, the differences between Democrat and Republican beliefs regarding what is important regarding immigration is quite different, and there is unlikely to be a middle ground met.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/09/08/republicans-and-democrats-have-different-top-priorities-for-u-s-immigration-policy/[1][2]
You can see that the Dems and Reps are basically the reverse on this specific issue: "Democrats are more likely than Republicans (80% vs. 37%) to say that establishing a way for most immigrants currently in the country illegally to stay in the U.S. legally is an important goal for the nation’s immigration system."
This drastic difference between deportation and acceptance is what fuels the current immigration debate.
Comment by Phssthp0kThePak at 25/01/2025 at 02:02 UTC
0 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Democrats could have laid out a coherent policy. And no, letting them in, and eventually holding a trial for everyone in the southern hemisphere who claims asylum is not a coherent policy.