Embattled immigration deal shows rightward lurch for Biden and Democrats
Al Jazeera
A deal for new border restrictions in exchange for foreign aid may fail, but it reveals a platform change for Democrats, experts say.
Washington, DC – The deal seemed all but dead on arrival.
Less than a day after leaders in the United States Senate unveiled a bipartisan immigration deal, members of the Republican Party had organised against it, all but dooming its passage this week.
But even if the bill meets its widely expected demise, migrant rights advocates and policy experts say it still underscores a rightward lurch on immigration under the administration of President Joe Biden.
They warn the legislation — which includes some of the tightest border restrictions Congress has weighed in decades — could be a sign of things to come, as immigration becomes a focal point of the 2024 elections.
“What this shows us is that the administration and Democrats seem to be willing to let right-wing Republicans control the narrative,” Sunil Varghese, the policy director at the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), told Al Jazeera.
