Finding a political solution to the immigration issue in a nation divided along partisan lines is not an easy task. Unfortunately, recent immigrants – both legal and undocumented – are a casualty.
This thought comes to mind as a tumultuous weekend standoff between immigrant advocacy organizations and federal and local law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles County enters week two.
The County has long been a bastion of progressive politics, and is roughly 50 percent Hispanic. Couple these two things with the Trump Administration’s attempt to put the proverbial genie back in the bottle by rounding up all undocumented immigrants in this country, and you get a sociological tinderbox.
And while Los Angeles is Ground Zero for the battle over undocumented immigrants, it could very well spread nationally and be harder to put out than the recent wildfires.
Credit Angelinos – the vast majority of whom continue to peacefully protest Trump’s ludicrous plan to detain and deport all these undocumented immigrants. On the other hand, the small minority of rioters who hoist foreign flags and deface, burn, and destroy public and private property only fan the flames for those who support the Trump Administration.
Trump’s decision to send in the National Guard to quell rioters is at best premature, and at worst heavy-handed, but California’s political leadership has also been a day late and a dollar short in ensuring orderly protests.
Kudos to Los Angeles City Mayor Karen Bass, who quickly backed away from fully backing protesters, reframing her message to encourage peaceful protest and discourse while discouraging rioting. It’s also good to see Gov. Newsom stand up to Trump, saying he will work with the President, but not under him or be bossed by him.
However, local congressional grandstanding at protests will only go so far, especially when the timing is ripe for comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level. A legislative path to citizenship has not been achieved since Reagan’s Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
In recent decades the sticking point for getting this done has been disengaging two immigration issues: Firstly, how many and which people should be allowed into the country, and secondly, how to deal with the plight of those undocumented immigrants who are already within our borders, and have been good citizens, and hardworking, taxpaying workers in our economy.
But Trump’s efforts to stem the flow of undocumented immigrants at our Southern borders and elsewhere allow Congress to focus on the second sticking point, creating a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented immigrants already within our borders.
In a recent LACP story, U.S. Rep. Judy Chu suggested passage of the bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act of 2025. It’s not a perfect measure, but it’s a solid starting point.
LosAngelesCountyPolitics.com (LACP) hopes that the better angels guide leadership in both parties to get this measure passed and on the President’s desk.
At stake is more than the plight of undocumented immigrants in this country.
It’s about healing a gaping wound that threatens to tear the country apart.
