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Politics|Resist Trump? On Immigration, Top Democrats See Room for Compromise.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/10/us/politics/democrats-trump-immigration-crackdown.html
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In interviews, a range of Democratic governors expressed some defiance toward the president-elect’s expected crackdown, but also showed a surprising willingness to work with him.
Dec. 10, 2024, 1:05 p.m. ET
As President-elect Donald J. Trump promises to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, Democratic governors are bracing themselves to be on the front lines of an emotional and politically explosive battle against his administration.
Yet unlike eight years ago, when Democrats often vowed to protect immigrants in “sanctuary cities” and resistance to Mr. Trump was a driving political force, the party’s governors are now charting a more careful course.
In interviews, 11 Democratic governors, governors-elect and candidates for the office often expressed defiance toward Mr. Trump’s expected immigration crackdown — but were also strikingly willing to highlight areas of potential cooperation.
Several balanced messages of compassion for struggling migrants with a tough-on-crime tone. They said that they were willing to work with the Trump administration to deport people who had been convicted of serious crimes and that they wanted stricter border control, even as they vowed to defend migrant families and those fleeing violence in their home countries, as well as businesses that rely on immigrant labor.
Describing his posture toward Mr. Trump on issues including immigration, Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey promised to “fight like hell over here” if “our values are unfairly attacked, if communities are unfairly attacked.”
But he added, “And then over here, fight like heck to find common ground.”
This measured approach reflects the political and logistical complexities for Democratic governors as they navigate immigration policy. Most of them have seen rising numbers of migrants strain public services in some of their cities, and have adjusted their tones and policies toward immigration in the eight years since Mr. Trump was first elected.
