Sunday, December 18, 2016

How Trump Can Reform Immigration without Tanking Republicans or the Economy

President-elect Donald Trump ran on an immigration enforcement platform, and when crafting policies his administration can take some lessons from California and Texas’s experience. Their experience suggests smart ways to enforce immigration laws without causing a political backlash or economic problems. As a Republican, President Trump should be inspired by how Texas conservatives have handled immigration instead of looking to California’s Republican Party.

California and Texas are similar in many ways. Hispanics are about 39 percent of the population of both states, both share a border with Mexico, and both have a long history of Mexicans living there (although Texas’ history is longer and richer). Crucially, large numbers of voters in both states have worried about illegal immigration and border control for decades. However, the political outcomes in both states are radically different because their state Republican parties dealt with illegal immigration and border security in very different ways.

California Turned Everyone Into ICE Agents

As a Republican, President Trump should be inspired by how Texas conservatives have handled immigration instead of looking to California’s Republican Party.
The California Republican Party in 1994 alienated Hispanics and businesses that supported immigration. Gov. Pete Wilson’s 1994 reelection campaign featured support for Proposition 187, which had two portions.

https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/how-trump-can-reform-immigration-without-tanking-republicans-or-economy

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