A Winning (and sensible) Immigration Policy

If we don't enforce the border we're a location, not a country

First, Do No Harm

When we deport undocumented immigrants who have not committed a felony, we should do so gently and with kindness. These are people who love the American Dream. We don’t want to turn them into enemies. In addition, it speaks to who we are as a country in how we treat them.

And for those that, in this gentler approach, take the chance to run and hide? Well now they’ve committed a felony and so we can detain them through the deportation process. But even so, we should treat them kindly. Because again, that speaks to who we are.

Democrats can win on immigration by choosing order, fairness, and strategic self-interest over a broken status quo.

We all know this - the American immigration system is a mess. It’s a political loser for Democrats, a humanitarian crisis for migrants, and a source of profound frustration for a public that sees a system governed by chaos, not by law.

For years, the debate has been stuck between hardline restrictionism and a progressive vision that sounds like open borders to most voters.¹ Neither approach works, and voters know it.

The desire for a fair and orderly process is not a niche or partisan concern. It's a universal cry. Voters, by overwhelming margins, want a system where we, the United States, decide who is admitted and under what conditions. They are tired of a dynamic where line-jumpers and legal loopholes seem to carry more weight than deliberate, democratic choices.²

The sense that the government’s policies favor special interests over “regular people” is toxic, and the border is its most visible symptom. If we want to govern, we have to offer a solution that starts with the public’s primary demand: order.³

The Non-Negotiable First Step: Enforce the Border

Peace Arch - U.S. / Canada Border

Before we can have any productive conversation about who to admit, we must first restore sovereignty at the border. This isn’t about caving to the right; it’s about acknowledging reality. If Democrats don’t enforce the border, the voters will find someone who will.

Restoring order is the foundation upon which any lasting, functional, and even generous immigration policy must be built. It’s the price of admission for public trust. This means providing the funding, technology, and personnel necessary to manage the border effectively.

It means processing claims quickly and fairly, and yes, it means promptly returning those who do not have a legal basis to stay. A secure border is harsh, but it’s the prerequisite for a rational and sustainable immigration system that Americans can support.

And harsh does not require cruelty! We must treat those we return to their country of origin with dignity & care.

From Asylum Chaos to Deliberate Choice

The second hard choice is to admit that the current political asylum system is broken beyond repair. Originally designed to protect a few dissidents fleeing targeted persecution, it has become a backdoor for mass migration.

With the broad and ever-expanding interpretations of who qualifies, a vast portion of the world’s population could now make a legitimate claim to asylum.⁴ We simply do not have the capacity, or the political will, to accommodate a fraction of that number.

We need to replace it. Instead of allowing anyone who reaches our soil to claim asylum, Congress should create a modern, offshore refugee program. It would be up to our elected representatives to debate and decide how many refugees to accept each year and from which specific global crises.

The decision would be ours - deliberate, planned, and in line with our national interest and humanitarian values. This ends the chaos and restores the principle that we decide who comes here.

A Strategic Vision for Immigration

So, who should we let in? That’s where Congress comes in. No one person - president, activist, or CEO - gets to dictate the guest list. We need a national debate, messy as it’ll be, to hash out who gets a shot at the American dream.⁵

And for the undocumented⁶ immigrants already in the U.S.? Again, that’s a decision for Congress. But if we have an effective border and we’ve ended political asylum claims, it becomes a lot easier for Congress to be open to providing a road to citizenship when it truly is (we think) the last time this will be necessary.

No one will love the final compromise, but that’s the point, it’ll be our decision, not a backroom deal or a border surge. Gallup tells us 70% of Americans want a pathway for some undocumented folks to stay, but 47% also back deportation.⁷ That’s not contradiction; it’s a call for balance.

This isn’t about closing the door or flinging it wide open. It’s about a system that’s fair, controlled, and forward-thinking. Enforce the border to rebuild trust. Ditch asylum to stop the chaos. Let Congress decide who we let in so it’s our decision. That’s a policy that doesn’t just react to today’s mess - it shapes tomorrow’s America.

This is a policy that’s good for America, is in alignment with our Democratic Party ideals, and is a political winner. Win-win-win.

1. Yes Obama & Biden expelled more undocumented immigrants than Trump. But the voters don’t see that - because of our messaging.

2. Sharply More Americans Want to Curb Immigration to U.S.

3. The Future of U.S. Immigration: Key Policy Changes to Watch in 2025

4. Any citizen of China. Any woman or non-Hindi citizen of India. Any…

5. 12 New Immigration Ideas for the 21st Century (not wild on some of these, but they should be part of the conversation).

6. “Illegal” vs. “Undocumented” - makes little difference in American’s attitude toward them.

7. America’s New Consensus: A National Survey Analysis of the Political and Policy Preferences of Likely 2024 Voters