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ROOT, Wis. – In this former manufacturing city that supported Hillary Clinton in 2016, the dislike for President Trump is great and profound. Pictures of children crying on the Mexican border are generally used as Exhibit A on the list of complaints this Democratic voters cite against the president.
Many of these same the electors also express opposing viewpoints to illegal border crossing, often rooted in the family stories of their arrival in America. If you want to have a chance to realize the American dream, they say, you have to follow the rules.
"I think everyone should be doing the right thing, just like our ancestors," said Christy Cowles, 59, a retired city dweller for Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Voters like Mrs. Cowles pose a headache to Democrats as they tackle the sensitive issue of immigration. While many Democrats express the desire to make it easier for aspiring immigrants, party leaders also fear that an immigration program too far-lurched to the left may alienate voters in highly contested states like Wisconsin. ranging from declared liberals such as Mrs. Cowles to coveted alternative voters.
In the first round of democratic debates in June, the candidates adopted aggressively liberal positions on immigration, with almost unanimous support for decriminalize illegal border crossings.
The idea was put forward by the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Julián Castro, who will be among those expected to be on stage on Wednesday night in the second round of debate. Jeh Johnson, head of homeland security under the Obama administration, criticized this concept, which equates to allowing the opening of borders. Since then, another candidate, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, also called to appear Wednesday night, said that he would virtually eliminate immigration detention.
During Tuesday evening's debate, Senator Elizabeth Warren took the lead in advocating for the decriminalization of illegal border crossings.
"As Americans, we must have a sound system of mind that protects us safely at the border, but does not criminalize activity," she said.
Ohio representative Tim Ryan, one of the candidates for a more moderate approach, said, "If you want to come to this country, you should at least ring the bell."
As a sign of escalating concerns within the party, several Democratic governors this month alarmed by the rhetoric of open borders. And a document recently circulated to Democrats in the House by party consultants recommended a more moderate approach – suggesting that the party insist on the path of citizenship for undocumented immigrants who "work hard and pay their taxes" but also insist on the importance of border security.
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"Beyond politics, the best immigration framework recognizes the problem and offers solutions – both border security and the path to citizenship," read in a statement. note addressed to the Democratic Congress Campaign Committee.
A recent Gallup poll found that immigration tops the list of issues that Americans consider important. Mr. Trump's claims for a wall on the Mexican border, as well as tighter restrictions on immigration, became an emotional problem during the presidential campaign. The president and his supporters have called the Democrats to discipline, while the Democrats are opposed to the wall and the inhuman treatment of asylum seekers being antithetical to the fundamental values of the United States.
There are few places where the subject is more controversial than in Wisconsin, a rotating state where it has been used as a stick against Democrats, even in local races for elected positions with no role in politics. of federal immigration.
Rob Grover, a Democrat who showed up at the Wisconsin Assembly last year, said he was surprised when a flyer paid by the Republican Party of Wisconsin arrived in local mailboxes suggesting that he wanted to abolish the immigration and customs control agency. Mr. Grover, who calls himself a Conservative on immigration issues, said he had never expressed such a point of view. He lost his run in West Wisconsin.
Immigration has also become a problem in other states, with right-wing calls that seem designed to stir up anti-immigrant pbadion, according to Ben Wikler, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, has accused huge last-minute spending on immigration and other problems for defeating the Democratic candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court this year. Special interest groups – both sides of the race – said they spent more than $ 4 million trying to influence the outcome.
With its Democratic downtown and a predominantly republican surrounding rural area, Racine County is known for its shift from one party to another, serving as a national guide to predict the outcome of presidential elections. In 2016, the county voted for Mr. Trump.
And in this dynamic district, some local Democrats speculated that immigration had helped to stifle their efforts last year to win the congressional seat held by the former Speaker of the House, Paul D. Ryan, according to the news agency. Fabi Maldonado, Supervisor of Racine County and Advocate for Immigration.
The Democratic candidate, Randy Bryce, has been arrested while protesting Mr. Ryan's stance on delayed action for child arrivals, delaying deportation and allowing work permits for undocumented immigrants brought into the country while were children.
"There was internal fighting within the Democratic Party to find out if it was too open to support illegal immigration," Maldonado said. "That may be true in part, but you have to be for immigration rights if you want Latinx future voters. "
Mrs. Cowles, a retired city employee, said her ancestors arrived in Racine a century ago from Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Germany, joining a wave of European immigrants who had settled in this lakeside town 30 km south of Milwaukee. African Americans arrived during the Great Migration and, more recently, the Latin American population grew by about 20%.
The city has largely adopted its multi-ethnic mosaic. The tortillas are sold on the same block as the kringles, the Wisconsin pastry introduced here by Danish immigrants. Racine City Council recently approved the idea of licensing drivers for undocumented residents.
Interviews with more than a dozen Democrats and left-wing voters revealed a disagreement over immigration. Some preferred more relaxed policies and others advocated a cautious approach, recalling stories pbaded down from generation to generation about how their own ancestors had trouble finding sponsors before arriving at Ellis Island.
Kevin Hughes, who retired from a factory that makes V05 shampoo, said he was supportive of a more liberal policy. "Everyone is going elsewhere to try to make their family's lives better," said 59-year-old Hughes. "Why would you criminalize this?
Maria Haenel, 35, born in Illinois of Mexican parents, was of the same opinion. "Even if immigrants who have crossed the border, even if they do not have any papers, they should have the opportunity to get a work visa, a student visa or a student visa. any help to stay here and be able to live the American dream, "said Ms. Haenel, a family caregiver for the elderly.
However, some members of the Mexican-American community of Racine have expressed fear of too liberal opening of borders.
Lewis Mendoza, 68, is proud of the contribution of the Mexican people to the Wisconsin economy, particularly in the dairy industry, where high percentage of workers would be undocumented.
"There was a time when people with blue eyes and blond hair were doing this job," said Mendoza, a Democrat who voted for Clinton. "You do not see any more whites. It's all the Mexican people. What will you do if you send them back?
But Mr. Mendoza, A veteran who worked as a dishwasher in Racine restaurants alongside undocumented workers also voiced skepticism about migrants entering the country illegally. "In terms of jumping over a fence or something like that, I'm not aware of it. I am a little suspicious about this, "he said.
Racine is known for its ethnic festivals, many of which take place on the shores of Lake Michigan.
A lakeside fair, sponsored by Roma Lodge, an Italian welfare badociation, featured fireworks, music by Frank Sinatra and a dinner consisting of mostaccioli and ravioli. Jim Faraone, a former member of the organization's board of directors, was responsible for selling lottery tickets to raise funds for local health charities.
Mr. Faraone, a veteran of Vietnam, is a permanent voter, having supported both Barack Obama and Mrs. Clinton, but also Mr. Ryan, a Republican. He also expressed his skepticism about a border policy too broad.
"They should not be here unless they come legally; this is the only way, "said Faraone, 77, whose father immigrated from Italy and developed the homebuilding sector that Mr. Faraone subsequently worked in the area. Echoing Trump's warnings, Faraone said he was worried that other countries would release "murderers and other criminals" into the United States.
Ginny Ziolkowski, 70, also said to have rocked from one party to another, supporting more recently Obama and Clinton, but before that, Republican President George W. Bush. As for Mr. Trump, "Personally, I can not stand it," she said, admiring the view of Lake Racine.
But Ms. Ziolkowski, whose late husband was the executive of Racine County – a the lakefront park here bears his name – said that she was cautiously leaning on immigration issues and opposed the provision of health care benefits to undocumented migrants, a another idea that some candidates approved during the first debates. This is clearly a problem that, according to the Trump campaign, is favorable to him; on Tuesday, he released a new dynamic announcing Democrats to support the idea.
"I think they have to legally enter if they want to live here," Ms. Ziolkowski said. "And they should not receive education, health care or other benefits."
Jonathan Martin contributed to the Washington report.
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