immigration – Between Hell and High Water

Deal, No Deal or Wimpy Deal

By Mike Koetting April 28, 2026 (Amended)

In a relatively recent post, I suggested that if Democrats won a majority in both houses in November, it might be possible to pass a bi-partisan immigration agreement. The Trumplicans have so badly overplayed their hand that the time might be ripe.

However, as I tried to sort through what such a deal might actually look like, I realized how many pockets of interest benefited from the ambiguity that had existed before Trump launched his crusade. His lizard brain could only see the electoral advantages. He didn’t recognize–or didn’t care–that upsetting this ambiguity would spin into a chaos of unanticipated consequences. (You would think he would have a better feel for the issue, since as a businessman, he benefited from hiring illegal workers. Of course, no one ever accused Trump of an overabundance of self-awareness.)

Time to Call Out the Immigration Con

By Mike Koetting February 26, 2025

Everyone knows the story of the emperor’s clothing. No one was willing to say the truth until a child blurted it out.

There are parallels in our national discussion of immigration. Republicans, led by Trump, have inflated some real—but manageable issues—into a national panic. The fact that the panic is caused by a con gets lost in the day-to-day coverage.

It is a real problem that our system for managing immigration is broken. It is broken from lack of funding and from incoherence in our rules and laws, in large part due to conflicting interests. There are any number of feasible solutions to those problems. None of them are addressed by deporting people. Fixing the core system requires nuanced, rational political discussions of the various trade-offs—which Republicans have been systematically undercutting for 20 years.

Bad Faith in Immigration Policy

By Mike Koetting January 14. 2025

The recent election demonstrated that a large share of Americans want more control placed on immigration. Fair enough. But the Laken Riley bill that recently passed the House is a deeply troubling response. Presented as a plan to “deport criminals” it is in fact a stealth attempt to rewrite fundamental constitutional provisions. It exemplifies the partisan bad faith with which current politics are being waged.

This law would mandate the detention of anyone who is “unlawfully” in this country who is “charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.” Note this does not require the person be convicted of anything. Presumption of innocence is cancelled. Merely arresting someone for a crime is sufficient. Or having once been convicted, regardless of subsequent events, you could be detained.