Make Immigration Policy Popular, Recognize Those Pitching In

Prior to Donald J. Trump becoming president for the first time, in 2016, Republicans always seemed to have a difficult time in winning policy arguments.

Although they often won elections, they would almost always fail to achieve the policies that they ran on during their campaigns.

This writer believes there were two reasons for this:

• A lack of strategy.
• The inability to stick to their guns once they began to receive media criticism.

President Trump has likely indelibly altered the way the Republican Party is viewed.

Although many in the mainstream media remain perplexed as to why he's so popular, the average citizen understands the reasons for this all too well.

President Trump stakes out policy positions that resonate with the average citizen when he is campaigning, and once elected, he works hard to implement the policies he campaigned on.

Additionally, unlike what the GOP has done, he doesn't shrink when the media or the opposing party, or its operatives, aggressively pursue him to take him to task.

Our nation's 47th commander in chief meets them head on and fights for his policies.

Although the Republican Party with Donald Trump at the helm is viewed differently than the GOP of the past, the trust that our 47th president has built with voters does not automatically transfer to Republicans in Congress.

It’s best they earn that on their own.

One way they can do this is to find ways to implement the president’s policies through legislation. Another thing they can do is present the president with ideas guaranteeing that his agenda remains in place, long after his term of office has passed.

One area this writer believes Congressional Republicans can strengthen their own trust with Americans is immigration.

So far, they seem to be doing a good job of supporting President Trump’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants who are national security or safety threats.

However, this support is not difficult for them when you consider that most Americans also support these efforts. Things could get increasingly dicey if we begin to deport families who were here long before Joe Biden was president.

Polls indicate that support for such a move could drop significantly.

This writer also believes this is where Congressional Republicans can help President Trump. They can work with him to develop an exit strategy on deportations by defining who is not a target for deportation.

As someone who has spoken with people all over the country on the issue of immigration, never encountered are those purportedly opposed to deporting those who are criminals and/or national security threats.

Conversely, this writer speaks to very few people who want to deport those who have long been in our country, avoid getting into trouble, and work to contribute to this country’s economy.

Of note, the views of people I've encountered are usually straightforward.

They want to deport bad apples and most of those who came in under Biden, secure the border so we never have another crisis like that of the last four years, and offer some protections (not citizenship) for those who have been in our country for an appreciably long time.

Americans are more than ready for a reset of our government.

A recalibration that brings the solving of problems, rather than left for those running for office in the next election cycle, so that politicians have something to run on.

It's critically important to point out that Americans understand the difference between deporting those who invaded our country under the Biden administration and those who have been here for many years quietly working, paying taxes (including Social Security taxes), raising families, and staying out of trouble.

Congress can help President Trump by implementing a solution that perfectly matches with Americans who hold these views --- advancing the registry date.

The Registry is a provision of immigration law dating back to 1929.

It enables those who arrived before a date set by Congress (registry date) to apply for lawful permanent resident status (not citizenship).

The current Registry date of Jan. 1, 1972, was last advanced by Congress in 1986 when Ronald Reagan was president.

Although registration wouldn't lead to citizenship, it would allow people who have been contributing to our economy to continue to do so legally.

In order to obtain this status, people would have to go through a qualification process that considers a number of things, including whether their presence is making a positive contribution to our country.

In December 2024, I wrote an op-ed for Newsmax that provides more background on the Registry, why it should be updated, and the reforms that I believe should be implemented with an update.

I respectfully request that you please consider reading this opinion column.

Please contact your congressmen and senators, and suggest they support advancing the Registry date.

Joe from Texas is a family man with children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren who has had tremendous success and lived the American Dream. His beliefs are both straightforward and deeply held. He believes in God, his family, and the United States of America. For more information, please visit www.JoeFromTexas.com. Read Joe Penland's Reports —​ More Here.