Sep 7, 2017

The partisan chasm on immigration

So President Trump wants Congress to solve the “Dreamers" issue in six months? Here's a reality check on why any immigration legislation falls apart once Congress gets ahold of it. This poll, from Quinnipiac University last month, shows that Republicans and Democrats aren't just divided on what to do about undocumented immigrants. They live in different universes, with independents somewhere in the middle of the huge chasm.

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Data: Quinnipiac University Poll, August 16, 2017; Note: Don't know responses not shown; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon / Axios

The bottom line: The issue before Congress — what to do about undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children — is just a subset of the broader immigration debate. But these kind of numbers show why immigration legislation has always been a graveyard in Congress, and why the odds have been against a deal to give legal protections to the Dreamers.

Yes, but: President Trump's deal with Democratic leaders on the debt limit may have changed that.

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 5,682,389 — Total deaths: 354,944 — Total recoveries — 2,337,385 — Map.
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  3. Public health: Fauci says data is "really quite evident" against hydroxychloroquine — Nearly half of Americans say someone in their household has delayed medical care.
  4. Business: African American business owners have seen less relief from PPP, Goldman Sachs says — Disney plans phased reopening on July 11 — Author Ann Patchett says bookstores are innovating to stay connected with customers.
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Updated 29 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Top Senate Democrat says State Dept. is working on new Saudi arms deal

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo briefs reporters on May 20. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/pool/AFP via Getty Images

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