This is the the seventh in my installments on the Presidential Party Platforms. I’m reviewing and comparing the Democrat and Republican Party Platforms.  

I know, I keep repeating this, but if you’re knew to this series, you might not know: the Republicans decided to adopt the 2016 Party Platform. On the opening day of the 2020 convention, Republicans announced that they do not have a platform, but will follow Presidents Trump’s direction. Lacking specifics, I’m comparing the 2016 Republican Platform with the 2020 Democratic Platform.

The Democratic Party has a little over 4 pages devoted to immigration. The Republican Party also has less than one page regarding immigration. They also mention immigration in a section about military security.

Just so I can keep everything straight, I put the information into a simple table, like I would for corporate goals. Pretty easy to understand; I think:  We will______________ by_____________ so that______________ happens.  The last column is the page number for your reference.

Note: After the Convention President Trump’s campaign announced a 2nd Term Agenda. The goals are many, but only the first part (We will) is addressed. How the goal will be accomplished (the “by”) is missing. Why he wants to accomplish the goal (the “so that”) is also not included. You can find the Agenda by clicking here.

So here’s the Democrats’ Creating a 21st Century Immigration System:

The opening paragraph of this section of the Democratic Platform acknowledges that one of our country’s strengths is the diversity of our people. Although the section criticizes Trump and the current administration for “callous, cruel, and reckless” approaches, it also acknowledges that the system was broken before President Trump came into office.

We will	By	So that	Page
Fix our broken immigration system.	Rescinding President Trump’s fabricated “National Emergency;” Terminating the discriminatory travel and immigration bans that disproportionately impact Muslim and African people; Inviting those whose visas have been denied re-apply to come to the United States; Reinstating, expanding, and streamlining protections for Dreamers and the parents of American citizen children; Reversing policies that prevent victims of gang and domestic violence and LGBTQ+ from seeking asylum; Ending prosecution of asylum seekers at the border; Ending policies that force asylum seekers to apply for “safe third countries;” Ending immigrant wealth test.	We right the wrongs of the Trump Administration	54
Provide a roadmap to citizenship for millions of undocumented workers, caregivers, students, and children.	Fast-tracking the citizenship process for those workers who have been essential to the pandemic response and recovery efforts (health care, farmworkers, etc.)	We have an immigration system that embodies our values.	54
Make our immigration processes faster, more efficient, and less costly.	Eliminating unfair barriers to naturalization, reducing application backlogs.	We strengthen our communities, our families, and our country.	54
Support legislation to treat the spouses and children of green card holders as immediate relatives;	Eliminating family-based green card backlogs Reforming the system to speed up family-based visas; Eliminating immigration barriers such as the 3-10 year bars; Removing the 10-year waiting period for waivers to the permanent bars.	We end unfair separation of families.	54
Build a 21st century immigration system.	Expanding the annual visa cap for victims of sex trafficking, violence against women and children, and other heinous crimes; Assuring same sex coupes receive equal treatment.	We reaffirm our commitment to family-based immigration; Preserve diversity preferences in our immigration system.	55
Work to pave a path to citizenship for those who have been in the country for an extended period of time and built their lives in the United States	Ensuring that law-abiding individuals with Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure are not sent back to countries where they cannot live safely	We have an immigration system that embodies our values.	55
Hold employers accountable, promote workers’ rights, and prioritize the enforcement of labor and employment laws across the economy;	Supporting the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights and the Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation (POWER) Act.	We prevent employers from taking advantage of immigrant workers.	55
	Ending workplace and community raids; Prohibiting enforcement actions that deter access to justice at courthouses; Ending programs that force state and local law enforcement to also be responsible for immigration enforcement; Stopping targeting men and women who served in uniform and their families.	Enforcement mechanisms are humane and consistent with our values and international humanitarian obligations.	55
Build a 21st century immigration system.	Prioritizing investments in more effective and cost-efficient community-based alternatives to detention; Ending for-profit detention centers; ensuring that any facility where migrants are being detained is held to the highest standards of care and guarantees their safety and dignity; Restricting detention of children to the shortest possible time, with their access to education and proper care ensured.	Detention is a last resort, not the default.	55
Build a 21st century immigration system.	Implementing robust mechanisms for oversight, accountability, and transparency.	Immigration agencies abide by our values, the U.S. Constitution, and international law.	55
Support steps to make immigration courts more independent.	Demanding that leaders of our immigration agencies are Senate-confirmed professionals; Holding personnel accountable for inappropriate, unlawful, or inhumane treatment.	We have immigration judges that operate free of inappropriate political influence;  Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection personnel abide by our values; We have evidence-based standards.	55
Strengthen our democracy and guarantee America’s long-term economic competitiveness.	Improving and increasing opportunities for legal, permanent immigration; Awarding visas for permanent, employment-based immigration in a way that is responsive to labor market needs;	Recover from the worst economic iris since the Great Depression.	56
Attract and keep talent in this country.	Ending the Trump Administration’s freeze on green cards for new immigrants; Pursuing a meaningful reform agenda.	Recover from the worst economic iris since the Great Depression.	56
Support policies and programs to make it easier for qualified immigrants and their  families to become full and equal citizens.	Increasing funding for culturally appropriate immigrant inclusion and citizenship services, legal support, English classes and bilingual 13  education, workforce development, and adult education.	??	56
Address the root causes of migration—violence and insecurity, poverty, pervasive corruption, lack of educational and economic opportunity, and the impacts of climate change.	Implementing well-designed assistance programs.	We help prevent and mitigate the effects of migration crises around the world.	56
Support a comprehensive strategy  with the support of the international community; Renew American diplomacy as our tool of first resort.	Rebuilding our partnerships and alliances.	We strengthen security and prosperity in partnership with the people of Central America and the Caribbean; We lead the global humanitarian response.	56

 

The Republicans’ plan for Immigration and the Rule of Law

The Republicans have a very different approach. Their Party Platform focuses protecting the American worker while welcoming all to the “Great Opportunity Party.”

We will	By	So that	Page number
Stand with the victims of Obama’s policies; Stop allowing illegal immigrates to endanger everyone, exploit taxpayers, and insult all who aspire to enter America legally.	Opposing any form of amnesty for those who, by breaking the law, have disadvantaged those who have obeyed it.	Our immigration system serves the national interest and the interests of American workers.	25
Rescind executive amnesties of 2012 and 2014	Securing our borders and all ports of entry; Enforcing our immigration laws.	We eliminate grave risks to the safety and sovereignty of the United States.	26
Stop millions of unidentified individuals entering the country.	Building a wall along our the entirety of our southern border; Requiring the mandatory use of E-verify program;	We eliminate grave risks to the safety and sovereignty of the United States.	26
Stop millions of unidentified individuals entering the country.	Reaffirming our endorsement of Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE;) Demanding tough penalties against those who engage in identity theft, deal in fraudulent documents, and traffic in human beings.	No public funds go to persons not legally present in this country.	26
Make gang membership a deportable offense.	Allowing the Department of Homeland Security to use its authority.	We keep dangerous aliens off our streets and expedite expulsion of criminal aliens.	26
Penalize previously deported illegal aliens who show a lack of respect for our borders and rule of law.	Supporting stiffer penalties, such as a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, for any illegal alien who illegally re-enters our nation after already having been deported.	We keep dangerous aliens off our streets and expedite expulsion of criminal aliens.	26
Halt funding to “sanctuary cities”	??	We enforce the law and protect citizens.	26
Reform our guest worker programs.	Supporting the right of the states to enact laws deterring illegal aliens from residing within their states.	We eliminate fraud, improve efficiency, and ensure they serve the national interest.	26
Prevent people from countries that have been breeding grounds for terrorism form seeking asylum here.	Limiting asylum to cases of political, ethnic, or religious persecution.	Ensure our national security.	26

Since part of the Republican Platform has to do with repealing Obama’s executive on immigration, I wondered where that stands. Maybe you do too:

Wow! What a difference.

There’s one nice thing about the Republican Party adopting the 2016 platform. We can also check to see what progress has been made in the past almost 4 years. If you want to do that in a concrete way, please visit GovTrack.us and use the search bar.

I gotta say, the two parties have widely different views about how immigrants.

What do you think?  Was this enlightening?

It’s not easy to compare the two Platforms. They don’t use the same style or organization.  But, I’m determined to give it my best shot.

Next up: Education

After that just Leadership. I think I can get it done before November 3, the official Election Day.

It’s a wonder anyone can sort through all the facts.

If you missed my prior Party Plank reviews, here are the links:

Party Platform 2020: Our Democracy

Party Platform 2020: The Environment

Party Platform 2020: The Economy

Party Platform 2020: The pandemic

Party Platform 2020: Healthcare

Party Platform 2020: Criminal Justice