Democratic divide over immigration spills out among Hispanic lawmakers

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is divided over the best way to respond to illegal immigration — a microcosm of the broader debate in the Democratic Party on what to do about the southern border.

Why it matters: Top Democrats know the scenes of migrants streaming at the border — coupled with cities being overwhelmed across the country — are presenting a massive political problem for President Biden and congressional Democrats.

Driving the news: Last Tuesday, the CHC held a roughly 45-minute meeting focused entirely on immigration, with Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) trying to garner support for the bipartisan Dignity Act, according to aides and lawmakers.

What we’re hearing: Escobar’s pitch was not received well by several members in attendance last week.

– Others in the meeting argued the priority should be passing Biden’s U.S. Citizenship Act, first introduced by Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) in 2021 with wide Democratic support.

Zoom out: The White House has already taken drastic measures to crack down on the number of migrants and asylum seekers illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. These include resuming border wall construction, deportations to Venezuela and moving to use foreign aid to help Panama’s deportations.

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