Cory Gardner To DACA Kids: Don't Believe Your Lying Eyes

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by: Colorado Pols

ABC News reporting from an interview with Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado yesterday, in which Gardner makes assurances to undocumented immigrants presently covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that we don’t think he has any ability to guarantee:

“I don’t believe anybody is going to be deported,” [Pols emphasis] Gardner told ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl and Political Director Rick Klein on the “Powerhouse Politics” podcast, of the formerly-protected undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as youths. “There’s not going to be this mass deportation on this. That’s first and foremost. Please know that Congress is working very hard to solve this.”

Gardner worries about the 800,000 people that are in the midst of turmoil and fear because their legal status is set to run out on March 5. The Trump administration has announced the U.S. would end in March the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival which would bring an end to the temporary protection extended to these undocumented migrants.

Gardner joked that the number of senators at the negotiating table keeps changing so it should be called the “Gangs of Prime Numbers.”

In typical slippery Gardner style, he undercuts his initial strong statement that “I don’t believe anybody is going to be deported” by saying right after that there won’t be “mass” deportations–a significant yet also conveniently vague qualifier. What Gardner leaves out of this rosy forecast is the fact that thousands of DACA beneficiaries have already lost protection after their authorizations expired after Trumps’s announcement of the program’s ending and were not renewed. Here’s the estimated number of young people who have lost DACA protections since September 5, 2017 (counter via the Center for American Progress):

If you combine this reality with the bellicose language used by many Republicans not named Cory Gardner during the recent shutdown battle–including President Donald Trump–that Democrats were “shutting the government down for illegal immigrants,” and continued resistance by a large percentage of Republicans to any compassionate solution, it’s very difficult to take comfort in Gardner’s casual promise that ‘nobody is going to be deported.’ To DACA beneficiaries who have been losing their protections from deportation for months now as Republicans have dickered and argued amongst themselves, Gardner couldn’t sound more out of touch. And now that Republicans have fought off a determined attempt by Democrats to force the issue, how can anyone say the outlook has improved?

We’re not saying it’s impossible for Gardner to deliver on the promise he made here, notwithstanding any individuals for whom that’s already too late. What we’re saying is that it’s a very big promise, and he is not in control of the many waypoints along the way to keeping this very big promise.

And it’s never a good idea to make a promise you don’t know for sure that you can keep.

10 thoughts on “Cory Gardner To DACA Kids: Don’t Believe Your Lying Eyes”

bullshit! says:

January 25, 2018 at 1:16 pm

Not only do I predict Cory will fuck the DACA kids over, he'll blame the Democrats for doing it.

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1. Moderatus says:
  
  January 25, 2018 at 2:36 pm
  
  And if Republicans do come up with a solution for DACA, will you ever admit that Gardner did something right?
  
  I doubt it, bullshit. I doubt it very much.
  
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  1. Davie says:
    
    January 25, 2018 at 2:45 pm
    
    But when Republicans yet again fail to support DACA kids, Con Man Cory will be Shocked!, Shocked I tell you! when the deportations rapidly pick up speed.
    
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  2. unnamed says:
    
    January 25, 2018 at 2:49 pm
    
    You're hypothesizing on a premise that Cory the Coward will do anything more than grandstand. Not going to happen.
    
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    1. Moderatus says:
      
      January 25, 2018 at 2:51 pm
      
      Time for an update.
      
      White House presents immigration plan with path to citizenship for 1.8 million
      
      https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/25/white-house-presents-immigration-plan-with-path-to-citizenship-for-18-million-369457?lo=ap_a1
      
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      1. unnamed says:
        
        January 25, 2018 at 3:02 pm
        
        So, your buddy is trying to use DACA as a bargaining chip. Just like you used CHIP as a bargaining chip to push your racist xenophobic agenda.
        
        Back to my point, Cory will not take the lead on anything. He will do what the Kochs and Mitch tell him to do.
        
        Edit: It isn’t like Trump has a record of honoring the deals he makes.
        
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        ajb says:
        
        January 25, 2018 at 4:49 pm
        
        DT really, REALLY wants a wall.
        
        Last time lots of people blamed Dems for a shutdown because they wanted protect Dreamers. For better or worse that's now off the table.
        
        This time, it will be R's pushing an unpopular proposal – DT's wall – that gets the govt shutdown. I think this time R's are fucked.
        
        DT really, REALLY wants a wall.
        
        And have you visited redstate lately? They kinda want a wall, but they really, REALLY don't want to protect Dreamers.
        
        Get the popcorn.
        
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      2. Davie says:
        
        January 25, 2018 at 9:07 pm
        
        Let me save you some trouble, Moldy, and us taxpayers about $25 billion. Here's a more efficient, small government solution:
        
        Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), one of the leaders on immigration policy among House Democrats, said the offer didn’t pass the smell test.
        
        “It would be far cheaper to erect a 50-foot concrete statue of a middle finger and point it towards Latin America,” he tweeted. “Both a wall and the statue would be equally offensive and equally ineffective and both would express Trump’s deeply held suspicion of Latinos.”
        
        https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-administration-offers-citizenship-for-dreamers-as-part-of-immigration-deal_us_5a6a5565e4b0ddb658c4e737?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
        
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Bright Bart says:

January 25, 2018 at 1:57 pm

I don't know if Cory even believes Cory anymore.

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JohnInDenver says:

January 25, 2018 at 5:50 pm

Cory can say nearly anything he wants — as I believe the Senate will probably emerge with some sort of package for the Dreamers, balanced by whatever will make them enough of second class citizens to satisfy hardliners. You know, things like an extended waiting period, fees well beyond those charged to other immigrants, blocking them from sponsoring any relatives ever, anti-jaywalking and speeding standards, and income requirements that keep them off any sort of government assistance forever.

The choke point is going to be in the House. The Hastert rule will keep Speaker Ryan & his merry band from doing anything that would allow them to be primary'd from the right. And that won't happen until after a substantial number of filing deadlines have passed — mid-May or June, perhaps. And even then, I'm not certain you can get enough of the majority party to sign on to any form of citizenship for Dreamers.

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