Before the government went dark last week, Sen. Chuck Schumer went to the floor to confess. With progressive hawks watching, the minority leader admitted sheepishly that he had “reluctantly put the border wall on the table” in exchange for “strong DACA protections.” It didn’t work. President Trump said no deal.
But a week later, the White House announced that the president will support a pathway to citizenship for the “Dreamers” so long as his border wall gets built. Trump more or less accepts what Schumer offered. If Democrats were ever serious about a deal, they will take the latest offer, because it will never get better.
While more details are coming, the latest Trump-offer isn’t that different from the late Schumer-offer.
The White House wants a reported $25 billion for a wall trust fund. Schumer offered as much as $20 billion. The White House will provide a path to citizenship for 1.8 million undocumented immigrants who were brought here as children. Schumer never asked for a specific number, but the White House offer tracks what the bipartisan Durbin-Graham offer included.
There just isn’t any substantial difference and, what’s more, there aren’t any significant losses. Schumer won’t be prostrating himself on the altar to offer his career as a sacrifice if he accepts the deal. Democrats have promised a fix for immigrant kids since literally the turn of the millennium. There’s no abandonment of principle here: Democrats have supported border security since 2006, when a majority got on board with a border fence.
Democrats can take this deal and, with a bit of courage, face their base. Of course, ending chain migration isn’t insignificant. But not every Democrat bet their political fate on full-fledged amnesty. Survival is possible. The same isn’t certain for Trump.
The president has offered a big compromise on his single, most defining issue. Trump is willing to embrace an amnesty more than half as generous as the one Reagan embraced in 1986. If old Breitbart headlines are any indication of the base reaction, “Amnesty Don” is making a significant gamble. And while some Dreamers will definitely become citizens because of this deal, it isn’t guaranteed that the wall actually gets built. The money goes into a trust fund only guaranteeing a border Trump a photo-op by 2020.
If Schumer was serious about helping those huddled masses when he put the wall on the table a week ago, Schumer will make a deal.
