Some Democrats in competitive House districts found success this cycle by talking tough on border security, effectively neutralizing a key Republican line of attack.
And in a closely divided Congress, they’ll wield significant influence as they seek to navigate a complicated center lane, with the Trump administration on one side calling for mass deportations, and the progressive wing of their own party on the other, pushing back against stricter policies.
“Many of us are willing to work with the new administration,” California Rep. Mike Levin said in an interview. “But what we don’t want to do is substitute [current policy with] mass deportation, separating families. That is not the approach that I think will get us to finding common ground.”
