If Only Nixon Could Go To China, Could Only Trump Bring Amnesty To Illegal Immigrants?

Hy and Christopher begin the show with a spirited dive into New Orleans’s bohemian past where the funerary tradition is honored by a drink comprised of absence, gin, and vermouth. Chronicling this history, author Sue Strachan joins us on the Founders Show, talking about her new book The Obituary Cocktail, and it’s premier at the Garden District Book Shop on Friday, July 18. More information at gardendistrictbookshop.comWe then ask the question if only Nixon could go to China, can Trump be the only person who brings about amnesty for illegal immigrants?Could an amnesty deal be possible, allowing millions of illegal migrants to stay legally in the United States?Through the intervention of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Mandonna Kashanian, a 64-year-old Iranian-born resident of Louisiana, was released from ICE detention on Tuesday, July 8. She was arrested last month while picking figs in her Lakeview yard while her American-born husband and daughter sat inside unaware.Kashanian entered the U.S. legally in 1978. She overstayed her visa; though, she was granted a stay of deportation more than 20 years ago. Her family noted that she applied for asylum multiple times, consistently reporting to immigration officials since. Until this year, she had never been arrested for any criminal or immigration-related offense.Despite the recent postulations of pundits, MAGA world has not begun to rip itself apart over the Epstein list, Ukrainian weaponry, Russian sanctions, fiscal prolificacy, or bombing Iran. It’s this, a battle between those who wish to deport anyone with questionable legal status, and those who wish for a pathway to legalization. Lately, the latter group has included the president of the United States.The GOP stands on the precipice of Civil War over Donald Trump’s proposal of amnesty for illegal immigrants in key industries (such as agriculture) who have not been arrested for other crimes. The irony is shocking, yet Democrats may have been provided with an unexpected opportunity to finally give a pathway to legal status to migrants. Otherwise, stories like Mandonna Kashanian’s might become all too common. The only question that remains is how much in penalties will progressives concede to conservative congressmen to get amnesty legislation passed.It seems impossible, but that’s what the president has been telegraphing over the last two weeks, much to the chagrin of some of his senior advisors. He would agree to amnesty for the right price. Trump’s proposed pathway will likely include cash payments in exchange for the right to stay in the United States, if the president’s “Gold Card” proposal proves any indication. Yet with strong opposition on the MAGA right of the GOP, Democrats will have to put forward a deal, however much they might dislike Trump personally, to avoid as many as 11 million deportations.A window of opportunity exists. Trump does not like to be thwarted, even by his allies. Especially by his allies – just ask Elon Musk. MAGA theorists have condemned his $5 million cash payment to come into the United States. Moreover, the federal courts will likely strike it down, absent any congressional action. However, the simple idea that a cash payment could render a green card has some deportation purists in the MAGA movement unnerved.In recent weeks, Trump has flummoxed deportation advocates, like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, “Border Czar” Tom Homan, and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who have rushed to “clarify” Trump’s comments that migrants employed in farming and industrial activities without a criminal record should not face expulsion from the country. In point of fact, as Trump tries to thread the proverbial needle, thousands of (otherwise) law abiding illegal immigrants face round up from ICE agents. With a greater boost in funding thanks to the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill, which will provide Immigration & Customs Enforcement with more money than the FBI and all other federal security agencies put together, the round ups will probably skyrocket. The otherwise innocent will be the victims.That is bad news for agri-business interests who are disproportionately powerful in key pro-Trump electoral constituencies in rural America – and corporate ambassadors from Archer-Daniels-Midland, Tyson and Smithfield have been letting the president know of their displeasure.Realists around Donald Trump, and quite a few senior GOP members, have been trying to find a solution that their base would accept. An economic paper published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas on Tuesday, July 8, found that “high interior deportation,” with removals gradually rising to 437,500 a year, would cut economic growth by 0.83 percentage point this year and 0.84 in 2027.Trump fears recession above all else; however, deportation advocates, like the MAGA-allied Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), estimates the annual net cost of ...