Border wall is not worth DACA

There’s a lot of talk about a DACA deal in Congress. Trump supporters are left wondering how true to his campaign promises he will stay. It seems as though conflicting reports come out every day now about Trump’s stance on immigration reform.

Still, most of the Trump supporters I see have faith in Donald Trump and a number think he’s playing 4D chess. Spoiler alert, he’s not. Donald Trump is actually handling resistance and stagnation in Congress. And it appears a compromise is in the works. It’s not 4D chess, it’s choosing what ground you are willing to concede and what goals you prioritize achieving.

The Priorities

The GOP side seems split on the priorities. While a border wall is the most known, Trump is very concerned about ending chain migration in favor of a more merit-based system.

The supposed DACA Deal will likely weigh one of these priorities over the other, especially as Democrats oppose both. The Democrats have been campaigning hard on DACA, which shows that this is their practical priority. They believe there is enough public pressure to cause Republicans to bend on DACA.

This is to say that for the time being, Democrats likely aren’t going to push for amnesty. Trump would be committing political suicide to his most rational supporters if he were to favor DACA and amnesty for a border wall and merit-based migration. That being said, Democrats will likely wait until they have the Whitehouse to make that push, or they conveniently won’t support it like DACA during the Obama years.

The Willingness

Some Democrats have expressed great willingness to build a “high tech” wall in exchange for DACA. However, I think the greatest resistance to such a deal will come from Ted Cruz and a band of followers. They won’t be willing to compromise on DACA so easily. The far-far left will likely feel the same way, unwilling to compromise on a border wall or an end to chain migration, let alone any deportations.

So it will likely depend on all of the Senators in the middle, and I haven’t even gotten to the House yet. If Paul Ryan is on board, then he can swing a lot of leverage, however, this might be bad for him in the primary. In similar fashion, Democrats are boasting about taking the House back in 2018. Republicans who compromise on immigration may not receive as much support come November.

The Trump

The so-called bipartisan DACA deal presented yesterday to myself and a group of Republican Senators and Congressmen was a big step backwards. Wall was not properly funded, Chain & Lottery were made worse and USA would be forced to take large numbers of people from high crime…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018

….countries which are doing badly. I want a merit based system of immigration and people who will help take our country to the next level. I want safety and security for our people. I want to stop the massive inflow of drugs. I want to fund our military, not do a Dem defund….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018

….Because of the Democrats not being interested in life and safety, DACA has now taken a big step backwards. The Dems will threaten “shutdown,” but what they are really doing is shutting down our military, at a time we need it most. Get smart, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018

The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used. What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made – a big setback for DACA!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018

Sadly, Democrats want to stop paying our troops and government workers in order to give a sweetheart deal, not a fair deal, for DACA. Take care of our Military, and our Country, FIRST!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018

By the looks of it, Trump is dangling DACA over the heads of Democrats trying to get their support for his legislation. Trump had enough sense to decline whatever deal came his way. I’ve seen criticisms about Trump wanting to sign any immigration bill, but it appears this claim is so far unfounded. That’s good that Trump does have some principled priorities but they don’t seem the exact same as the ones he campaigned on. He still seems a little shaky on his staunch stance. All indications show that Trump is more than willing to cave to Democrats wishes on DACA for his own political gain.

The Votes

Democrats are consistent in their policies. If the unborn could vote, abortion would be abolished. If the “Dreamers” are explicitly given the right to vote, they will more than likely vote for those who gave them that right. It’s the same reason why Democrats push for amnesty. It’s all about securing the votes of groups, identity politics. This is what the Democrats want. If you think they genuinely care about these people, just look at how much voting blue accomplished for predominantly black inner cities.

The Acceptable Deal

If Republicans are so desperate for votes, they’ll seek to concede a little on DACA. The only acceptable deal is one where voting is off the table. Legal status but no citizenship or right to vote. But because they will have domicile, their children will have the right to vote through birthright citizenship. That is as much as Republicans should be willing to give in order to gain a new merit-based immigration system and a wall. That’s a fair deal if you want all that Trump wants.

But honestly, I’d take the wall off the table, for DACA to be off the table. We need a new immigration system. We also need to deport illegals because of how much of a financial drain they’ve become on the taxpayers, safety also being a concern. To me, these should be the conservative priorities.

The Takeaway

Trump campaigned on a wall so he should negotiate for one or risk losing support. Any deal with DACA is likely a bad one that will give Democrats votes for elections to come. But the Senate has 100 members as opposed to the House’s 435 yet moves abysmally slower. Odds are nothing gets through the Senate with regards to immigration, just like healthcare. There’s always 2019 though when the GOP will likely have a few more members. No guarantees though.