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Trump Transforms 2020 Immigration Debate - For Democrats

   The intensity of President Donald Trump's hardline approach to
   immigration hasn't just pushed the Republican Party rightward -- it's
   also moving Democrats in ways that are profoundly transforming the
   immigration debate.

   Gone are hopes for a big, bipartisan immigration overhaul once
   envisioned in Congress. With dire conditions taking hold at the border,
   and deportations stoking fear in immigrant communities, groups on the
   left are no longer willing to engage in the trade-offs that had long
   been cornerstones to any deal. That's pushing the 2020 Democratic
   presidential candidates to increasingly say they'll rely on executive
   action to undo Trump's policies and revamp the system that lawmakers
   have been unable to fix.

   "The brutality of this administration has pushed this conversation to
   happen," said Cristina Jimenez, executive director of United We Dream
   Action.

   The group formed around protecting young immigrants known as Dreamers
   from deportation, but now sees that issue as a starting point, or
   "floor," in the debate as the nation confronts harsh images from the
   border, including the deaths of migrant children and adults in federal
   custody.

   "The world is bearing witness," Jimenez said. "You're seeing the
   pressure of this moment is pushing the conversation."

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