Cecilia Muñoz

A theory of the case for how to manage the border, along with a path to permanent status for people who are here illegally and openings and legal immigration. That's a balance which I think can win the public. But for the time being, we have lost the public on this issue. Democrats have lost the public. And that's a catastrophe.

A theory of the case for how to manage the border, along with a path to permanent status for people who are here illegally and openings and legal immigration. That's a balance which I think can win the public. But for the time being, we have lost the public on this issue. Democrats have lost the public. And that's a catastrophe.

I think ultimately the policy formulation that they landed on is a really good one. We know that it's effective because actually the pressure at the border, the number of folks entering unlawfully has gone down. But they didn't start talking about it until too late. So I think an aggressive approach that said from the beginning, we recognize that this is a challenge.

I think ultimately the policy formulation that they landed on is a really good one. We know that it's effective because actually the pressure at the border, the number of folks entering unlawfully has gone down. But they didn't start talking about it until too late. So I think an aggressive approach that said from the beginning, we recognize that this is a challenge.

Here's how we're going to handle it in the region, in the hemisphere. They actually adopted a lot of really solid policy to give people the ability to get to safety without making the dangerous journey to the United States. They created mechanisms to move people from entering in between ports of entry and channeling them to ports of entry. They got a lot of pushback for doing that.

Here's how we're going to handle it in the region, in the hemisphere. They actually adopted a lot of really solid policy to give people the ability to get to safety without making the dangerous journey to the United States. They created mechanisms to move people from entering in between ports of entry and channeling them to ports of entry. They got a lot of pushback for doing that.

But ultimately, that allowed them to regulate how many people come in a day. They got there, but they got there kind of late. And they were, I think, reluctant to make a forceful case, in part because if a Democrat makes a forceful case, you get a lot of pushback from within the family. And so I think the mistakes were not so much policy mistakes.

But ultimately, that allowed them to regulate how many people come in a day. They got there, but they got there kind of late. And they were, I think, reluctant to make a forceful case, in part because if a Democrat makes a forceful case, you get a lot of pushback from within the family. And so I think the mistakes were not so much policy mistakes.

They, I think, started from the point of view that they did not want to talk about it. I think the sense was any day that this is the thing in the news that we're talking about is a bad day. And I think that was the mistake.

They, I think, started from the point of view that they did not want to talk about it. I think the sense was any day that this is the thing in the news that we're talking about is a bad day. And I think that was the mistake.

Absolutely. I mean, the argument that Frank and I are trying to make in the piece that we wrote is that Democrats should lean in. And I think the instinct that has taken hold is to run away from the issue. But the... There is history that demonstrates that when the frame is who's going to be tough, this is Donald Trump's frame, right?

Absolutely. I mean, the argument that Frank and I are trying to make in the piece that we wrote is that Democrats should lean in. And I think the instinct that has taken hold is to run away from the issue. But the... There is history that demonstrates that when the frame is who's going to be tough, this is Donald Trump's frame, right?

Who's going to be tough as opposed to not tough, that we have a hard time competing with that. But the frame that works for Democrats is leaning in and with an approach that actually solves the problem. When the frame is fix it versus chaos, right? Democrats tend to do well. And we have been having this debate on Donald Trump's frame for way too long.

Who's going to be tough as opposed to not tough, that we have a hard time competing with that. But the frame that works for Democrats is leaning in and with an approach that actually solves the problem. When the frame is fix it versus chaos, right? Democrats tend to do well. And we have been having this debate on Donald Trump's frame for way too long.

And the way to move it back to our frame is to lean in and with a theory of the case on how to address this. And I think the good news is the policy part is available. This isn't an intractable problem. This is a problem with policy solutions, but we have to be willing to talk about them and embrace them. And they include enforcement, which is uncomfortable.

And the way to move it back to our frame is to lean in and with a theory of the case on how to address this. And I think the good news is the policy part is available. This isn't an intractable problem. This is a problem with policy solutions, but we have to be willing to talk about them and embrace them. And they include enforcement, which is uncomfortable.

But obviously, that's preferable to what we're all about to endure over the next four years.

But obviously, that's preferable to what we're all about to endure over the next four years.

Yeah. President Obama had the kind of balanced approach that Frank, Sherry, and I are advocating for, in that he had a theory of the case that included an approach to immigration enforcement, but also a path to citizenship for undocumented people and expansions to legal immigration. And that was, from the public point of view, the desirable policy, right?

Yeah. President Obama had the kind of balanced approach that Frank, Sherry, and I are advocating for, in that he had a theory of the case that included an approach to immigration enforcement, but also a path to citizenship for undocumented people and expansions to legal immigration. And that was, from the public point of view, the desirable policy, right?