DACA & the Wall Set to Become Wedge Issues for the Fall Campaign
Congress passed the nation's annual spending bill on Friday without addressing Dreamers and without funding Trump's border wall. A "clean" DACA bill would almost certainly pass the House and Senate, but Republicans don't feel that its in their best interests to resolve the issue, so it won't be brought to a vote. And few in either Party take the "Wall" seriously, but it resonates with President Trump's base and has become a symbol of anti-immigrant sentiment. Both issues will probably not be debated seriously again prior to the mid-term elections in November. Clearly, they will be debated, but not seriously.
It will become Republicans' central wedge issue for the Fall campaign and they are betting that Democrats' support for Dreamers and opposition to the wall will help rally conservatives to vote in November. Its a cynical strategy, but if the 2016 election is any indication, it just might be enough to prevent Democrats from capturing the House in November.