Washington, DC — The Trump administration and allies have tried and failed to make the case that developments this week – from the war in Iran to the firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem – should compel Democrats to drop their calls for reform and accountability for ICE, Border Patrol and the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda.
Despite the GOP spin, ongoing developments – including primary results – make the opposite case and instead underscore why the majority of the American people are calling for and deserve real change. To their credit, Democrats aren’t buying the administration and their allies’ spin and are instead standing strong in their calls for accountability and reform (see quotes below).
According to Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
“It’s been a rough week for the Trump administration. Backlash to their reckless war of choice in Iran. The primary election results on Tuesday. Kristi Noem’s pathetic hearings on Capitol Hill, showing the corruption, cruelty, and chaos that defines their anti-immigrant, mass deportation crusade.
Yet while they’re desperate to pretend that developments in Iran and the demotion of Kristi Noem should mean we turn the page on essential calls for reform, the facts show otherwise. We instead need more accountability, more oversight, and not one penny more to fund this administration’s unfettered abuse of power in communities across the country. As I said yesterday, reshuffling the enablers of the agenda of President Trump and de facto President Stephen Miller doesn’t offer change, rather more of the same. The American people are making their voices heard, in polls and at the ballot box, clearly calling for real change and real accountability.”
See below for other key quotes and takeaways from the week
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), said, “This is a problem of policy, not personnel. The rot is deep. No one person can straighten this up until the president changes the whole agency, stops the violence, and reins in ICE.”
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), said: “This is not complicated: Democrats want to get TSA officers paid and fund disaster relief, but we will not vote to help Republicans spend one more dime letting Stephen Miller terrorize American cities.”
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), said: “This changes nothing. We are in a shutdown right now, because we have a rogue and reckless organization that is breaking into Americans homes, jumping out of unmarked cars, masked, literally slamming Americans to the pavement, or worse.”
Key Takeaways from Tuesday Primary Results
- Democratic enthusiasm is sky high with big implications for November’s midterms: Texas saw record high turnout in the Democratic primary and in both Texas and North Carolina, Democratic primary turnout surpassed Republican primary turnout levels – a rarity in either state.
Latino voters are motivated – and motivated in part by opposition to the mass deportation agenda: Polling released on Tuesday by UnidosUS of Texas Hispanic voters underscored the important role of immigration in driving Latino voter’s high engagement. As UnidosUS wrote, “One-third believe the Trump administration’s immigration actions violate civil rights and civil liberties and put U.S. citizens at risk of being detained and deported. Another third of those polled believe ICE is out of control and needs strong oversight and major reform. Only 14% support the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement and deportations.”
