22 APR 2022
Hub Highlights: New Poll and Experts Underscore the Need for Democrats to Pushback Against GOP Strategy to Weaponize Immigration and Title 42
WASHINGTON, DC - As Republicans continue to hurl campaign attacks against Democrats over the termination of Title 42, a new Immigration Hub battleground poll shows that Democrats have an opportunity to turn the debate around on immigration by communicating popular, balanced solutions that motivate a key segment of voters - made up of swing, Democratic base and Latino voters. The poll finds that it is critically important that Democratic candidates don’t alienate these crucial voters with messages that echo Republican postures.
The Immigration Hub’s new battleground poll was covered nationally and in a key battleground state: According to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, “A new poll of key 2022 battleground states offers Democrats a road map to victory among coveted Latino voters when it comes to immigration issues — if they’re willing to follow it. The bottom line? When they talk about immigration, try sounding less Republican.”
The Republican plan? Continue to use fear-mongering tactics to portray refugees and migrants as criminals, and echo the language used by Trump. The New York Times report obtained a new GOP memo outlining how the Party plans to continue weaponizing immigration. “‘Republicans continue to use immigration as a political cudgel to scare voters at every turn, knowing they have killed serious immigration reform at every turn,’ said Kerri Talbot, deputy director for the Immigration Hub, a pro-immigrant organization. She ridiculed Republicans’ immigration agenda, charging that “they want to build a $15 billion wall that a $15 hand saw can cut through.”
The Immigration Hub’s Executive Director, Sergio Gonzales joined Zerlina Maxwell’s showto discuss the administration’s approach to Title 42 and urging Biden to stick with his plan to end the racist Trump-era policy next month.
Keeping the pressure up: According to POLITICO Huddle, “A cohort of 37 immigrant, labor, and civil rights groups are urging the Biden administration to ‘loudly and clearly’ defend its plan to end pandemic-era border restrictions, known as Title 42. In a letter to President Joe Biden sent Thursday evening, the groups called on the administration to ‘forcefully oppose’ legislation from Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz) that would delay ending Title 42 without a detailed plan to address an anticipated surge of migrants at the border or similar proposals. They further requested an ‘urgent’ meeting with Biden and his staff to discuss the Title 42 policy. Read the letter here.
The White House is standing by its decision to end Title 42. In POLITICO: The White House is “definitely not going to reverse their decision on Title 42,” said Kerri Talbot, deputy director of the advocacy group Immigration Hub. “We would really urge them, instead, to more clearly roll out their border plan. There’s really a communications issue here where they have detailed plans, but they just haven’t really concretely laid them out for Congress.”
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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.