In 10 years, Democrats and Republicans have moved further apart on immigration

If it’s WEDNESDAY… Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates… Authorities arrest man suspected of killing five neighbors with AR-15 rifle in Texas… Donald Trump might skip first two GOP presidential debates, NBC News confirms… Prominent election denier jumps into NV-SEN race… And Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, launches TX-SEN bid to take on GOP Sen. Ted Cruz. But FIRST... Few episodes better explain how American politics has changed — and how America’s political system has been unable to respond to challenges and crises — than immigration. It was 10 years ago, in April 2013, that the “Gang of Eight” Democrats and Republicans unveiled their comprehensive immigration reform legislation, which would go on to pass the Senate with 68 votes but never become law after the GOP-controlled House refused to consider the bill. This week, in May 2023, we learned that a Democratic president is set to send more than 1,000 active-duty U.S. troops to the border ahead of an expected surge in migration. And in between, we’ve witnessed two political parties moving further and further away from what was always the compromise — more border enforcement, a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and a capacity to respond to future challenges (such as the asylum-seekers from Central America). In the 2020 Democratic primaries, we saw that party move away from border enforcement. More significantly, we’ve seen a Republican Party essentially close the door on a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants — and even what to do about the DREAMers. (Remember the possible deal of protections for DREAMers in exchange for money for Trump’s border wall? Well, that fizzled.) Add it all up, and our politics and political system are stuck. “We have more than two million cases in an immigration backlog that has been building year over year over year. What a powerful example of a completely broken immigration system. We have got to fix it. We need legislative reform,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on “Meet the Press” last weekend. Headline of the day Data Download: The number of the day is ... 52% That was the level of voter turnout for the 2022 midterms, per new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. It was the second highest in a midterm year since 2000, just behind the 2018 elections. Recommended MEET THE PRESS BLOG Members of Congress take sides in Philadelphia mayor’s race MEET THE PRESS BLOG GOP primary for Kentucky governor tops $10 million in ads The Current Population Survey also found the highest voter registration rate since 2000, with 69% of the voting-age population registered to vote. Nearly one-third of voters — 32% — cast mail ballots in the 2022 midterms, up from 23% who did so in 2018. And 47% cast ballots before Election Day, a 9-point jump from the 2018 elections. The Washington Post also reports that the new census data found a nearly 10-point drop in Black voter turnout compared to 2018. Other numbers you need to know today  1,500: The number of active-duty troops the Biden administration plans to send to the border ahead of an expected migration surge.  800,000: The number of people who could be forced to flee Sudan due to the conflict there, the U.N. said this week.  At least 10: The number of GOP public figures who could still announce their campaigns for president.  $31 trillion: The size of the national debt, the Washington Post reports, as negotiations between Democrats and Republicans are set to begin over raising the debt ceiling.  4: The number of defendants found guilty in Chicago in a trial over whether utility executives and lobbyists engaged in a years-long bribery scheme of then-Speaker of the Illinois House Mike Madigan (who also faces related charges).  12: The number of counts a man has been charged with for allegedly setting off an explosive device in a Capitol building tunnel on Jan. 6.  13: The number of years a man who was arrested this week in connection with his actions at the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol worked at the FBI.  3,000: The number of planned layoffs at Morgan Stanley as big banks make cuts.  100: The number of people arrested in Europe on Wednesday in raids against a notorious Italian organized crime group.  40%: The portion of eighth graders who received “below basic” scores in standardized U.S. History tests last year, the New York Times reports. Eyes on 2024: Prominent election denier jumps into Nevada’s Senate race After an election cycle where Republicans who echoed former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election underperformed in key races around the country, Nevada Republicans are going to be faced with the choice of whether to elevate one of those candidates again in 2024. Nevada Republican Jim Marchant is jumping into his state’s Senate race, he announced Tuesday, in the hopes of winning the right to face off against Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev. Marchant won his party’s nomination for secretary of state last year, one of a handful of nominees for the post around the country who cast doubt on the results of the 2020 election. In Marchant’s case, he told NBC News last year that Biden’s 2020 victory was “almost statistically impossible” and that he wouldn’t have certified the election. Republicans fought last year’s top elections in Nevada to a split decision — winning the governor’s race and losing the Senate race, both by razor-thin margins. (Marchant lost his race for secretary of state by a larger share, a bit more than 2% of the vote.) Both Republican nominees for governor and Senate were endorsed by Trump in 2022. But while future Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo tried to (uncomfortably, at times) create some distance between him and Trump on the question of the 2020 election, former state Attorney General and Senate nominee Adam Laxalt’s role in helping to challenge Trump’s loss in Nevada became a central piece of the Democratic attack against him. Marchant’s bid will yet again ask Republicans what kind of candidate they want to elevate in the hopes of winning back the Senate seat Rosen flipped in 2018, and with the balance of power in the Senate on a knife’s edge. In other campaign news… Debate? That’s debatable: Trump is considering skipping the first GOP primary debate, NBC News’ Vaughn Hillyard, Jonathan Allen and Olympia Sonnier report, as the Republican National Committee is reportedly putting out feelers about whether media would carry a general election debate that isn’t sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Trump’s civil rape and defamation trial continues: A friend of the author accusing Trump of rape and defamation in a civil trial testified Tuesday that she was told about the alleged attack “minutes” later. Trump policy: As part of Trump’s effort to release policy-oriented videos, Trump’s latest video details his plan for college education, saying it’s time to “reclaim our once great educational institutions from the radical left,” per Politico. His proposals include dismantling accrediting organizations, and removing diversity, equity and inclusion administrators. Still a two-man race: A new CBS/YouGov poll echoes other recent surveys and finds Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (who is expected to jump in the race soon) leading the GOP primary field as the only contenders with double-digit levels of support. Jet setting: Politico delves into DeSantis’ recent travels, including his trip overseas, noting it’s not clear who paid for his flights, but DeSantis’ office says no taxpayer money was used for his travel. He’s running: Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, announced Wednesday that he is running for Senate against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. His announcement video begins with his experience during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol, saying he was “ready to take on anyone who came through that door,” while Cruz “cheered on the mob” and “hid in a supply closet.” Allred also adds, “We don’t have to be embarrassed by our senator. We can get a new one.” Maryland primary talk: One day after Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., announced his retirement, Montgomery County Councilman Will Jawando, a Democrat, announced he is jumping into the Senate race. Maryland’s other Democratic senator, Chris Van Hollen, declined to say if he’ll take sides in the primary, telling NBC News’ Scott Wong, “Right now I’m focused on thanking Sen. Cardin for his great service. There’ll be plenty of time to talk about a primary.” Still not interested: Former Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan told NewsNation he’s “getting a lot of calls” and encouragement to run for Senate (including from his wife), but he still isn’t interested. Kind of interested: Former GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin said Monday he will “keep an eye” on the New York Senate race, saying during a visit to the state Capitol on Monday, “If we did run, it would be an extremely competitive race,” per Politico. Senate script: Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who is running for Senate and represents Hollywood in Congress, on Tuesday voiced support for the Hollywood writers’ strike, as did his primary Senate rivals, Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee. Tar Heel Republicans put abortion rights into spotlight: Republican state lawmakers in North Carolina are rolling out a new 12-week abortion ban with varying exceptions for rape, incest, some fetal abnormalities and the life of the mother. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper (who cannot seek re-election due to term limits) blasted the proposal in a statement, but the GOP has a veto-proof majority in the General Assembly. ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world? A number of Senate Republicans are pushing back on the notion that the two parties could reach a deal to temporarily deal with the debt limit, after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the deadline to prevent a default is June 1. A Tennessee district attorney announced Wednesday that no charges would be filed against an officer who was involved in the fatal traffic stop of Tyre Nichols in Memphis in January. At a hearing about judicial ethics on Tuesday, Senate Judiciary Committee members sparred over the need for reform. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.