Democrats are going through the motions, appearing as if they will learn from their 2024 election setbacks. Democratic governors are already proving that this is not the case.
One of the numerous issues on which voters demonstrated that Democrats were out of sync was illegal immigration, which contributed to the flipping of several Hispanic districts along the border. This includes Starr County, which has the country’s highest Hispanic population at 97%. Starr County supported Hillary Clinton by 60 points in 2016, Joe Biden by five points in 2020, then shifted to support Donald Trump by 16 points on Tuesday.
Biden’s administration has brought the border crisis to the forefront, particularly among liberal circles, due to the influx of illegal immigrants into Democratic areas such as Chicago and New York City. People simply do not want illegal immigration to overwhelm their neighborhoods, driving up housing costs, filling homeless shelters, and slashing government services.
However, Democratic governors are content to continue running their sanctuary programs for another election season. Shortly after Trump’s victory, California Attorney General Rob Bonta (who may run for governor) stated, “I can promise the illegal immigrant community in California that I and my team have been thinking about you for months and the harm that might come from the Trump administration 2.0. We’ll do everything we can to defend you, including using the entire authority of our office.” Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) aims to “Trump-proof” California legislation, including its sanctuary status.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James are also devising strategies to protect the state’s illegal immigrants. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who earlier declared that the state will expel illegal immigrants from shelters due to congestion, has indicated that her state will not help in deporting illegal immigrants. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has favored illegal immigrants throughout his career, believes he is now the main actor in an action film, claiming that “a happy warrior is still a warrior” and “You come for my people; you come through me.”
The Democratic Party will not reflect on itself as long as ambitious state leaders like Newsom, Pritzker, and Bonta resuscitate the “Resistance”-era ethos of refusing to give ground no matter how unpopular or harmful progressive legislation is. This includes giving priority to and favoring illegal immigrants over everyone else, despite the public’s widespread rejection of these policies on Tuesday.