Ted Hesson, Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The Republican leader in the race to unseat an Arizona Democrat next year in a critical U.S. Senate election gets heated as he discusses Democratic President Joe Biden’s “failed border policies,” sometimes throwing in expletives while decrying both their alleged financial costs and the potential threat to Americans.

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is betting that the message will resonate among voters. Republicans must mobilize for the 2022 election to shift the balance of power within Congress.

Brnovich said that immigration is not a problem in itself. He was the son of immigrant parents from Montenegro, Croatia. But illegal immigration is a threat to the rule of law.”

Brnovich backs the creation of a wall with Mexico, as well tighter immigration enforcement.

The incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Kelly is an established retired astronaut, and his opponent is the husband of former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Election trackers have given his seat a vulnerable rating after he narrowly won in a special election last January.

Although the Arizona race has been a high-profile contest, it is also a place where immigrants have emerged as an attack line. However, this strategy does not only apply to the Southwestern border states.

Republicans are attacking Biden’s vulnerability as a policymaker across the nation. Biden’s administration has failed to reduce the number of record-breaking arrests of immigrants at the U.S.–Mexico frontier. Critics claim that he is not consistent in his approach to immigration. He has kept some Trump policies intact while reducing others. This invites attacks from both the left and right.

Emma Vaughn is the national press secretary of the Republican National Committee. She said that “We have been heavily on offense.” “Immigration does not just affect border communities; it also impacts all Americans.”

Reuters polling confirms that likely Republican voters are motivated by immigration. In a Reuters poll, nearly 1600 Republicans revealed that immigration topped their list of concerns they would be “very angry” if government action was taken against them.

Democrats however, didn’t rank immigration as one of the top twelve anger-provoking problems. Researchers found that anger was more inclined to encourage voters than other emotions.

Both chambers of Congress are controlled by Democrats heading into the midterm elections. There are 48 Democrats in the Senate, and two independents. They caucus together with 50 Republicans. Vice President Kamala Harris was able to break the tie by casting a tiebreaking vote. One seat is vacant in the House of Representatives. Democrats control 221 of the 213 seats, while Republicans hold 213.

Brnovich, as attorney general, filed four lawsuits challenging Biden’s immigration actions this year. One lawsuit claimed that Biden did not assess the effects of illegal immigration on the environment, like pollution and stress to natural resources.

Biden has been criticized by Kelly at times for his approach to the south border. Kelly sent a December 16 letter asking the president to address any gaps in Arizona’s border barrier. Kelly also urged Biden not to close any gaps in Arizona’s border walls that were built during Trump’s era.

Kelly said that the administration had to make these concerns a top priority. Washington must do more for Arizona at the border.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated Monday it would close any “small gaps” left from the previous wall construction, and other construction work. The focus will be on an area of Arizona’s border.

Kelly’s stricter border stance is in contrast to most of his Democratic peers, who are critical of Trump’s immigration strategies. It’s a reflection on the possible threat of immigration-focused attacks upon the incumbent.

TENSIONS INTERNAL

Biden was elected in January, promising to reverse Trump’s restrictions on immigration. However, he is currently being held back by tensions inside his administration as well as ongoing legal battles.

On the President’s Domestic Policy Council, some friction was evident. Susan Rice, the director of the council, tends to advocate for stricter enforcement of border laws, sometimes clashing with her liberal staffers. A former U.S. official, who spoke anonymously, said that Rice was not the only one.

Biden administration officials have disappointed immigrants advocates who joined his team. He also deported mass numbers of Haitians, an official said to Reuters, speaking under condition of anonymity.

Reuters earlier reported that Biden officials acknowledged within their own ranks the possibility of large-scale migration to the US border, which could lead to the President’s wider immigration agenda being stalled.

Biden left in force a Trump-era, broad border expulsion policy that had been in place when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. He was also ordered by a judge to reinstate another Trump program that forced migrants to stay in Mexico while they were awaiting their U.S. asylum case. These moves shocked advocates.

The White House spokeswoman said that all Biden staffers are “committed” to the implementation of a fair, orderly and legal immigration system. She also denied tensions between Susan Rice staffers and Domestic Policy Council staffers.

According to the spokesperson who spoke anonymously, he said that Republicans were also heavily concerned with immigration in the run-up to 2018’s midterm elections. However, they lost the House to Democrats.

PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS

Republicans and their allies have already aired some immigration-themed ads, which is likely to be a preview of the future for Democrats.

Last week, the Federation for American Immigration Reform launched six-figures digital ads in Arizona and Texas that attacked Biden and other Democrats. The campaign depicted the border and made it seem lawless.

In the commercial, a voice over a video showing migrants fighting with Mexican authorities says that “President Biden has sabotaged our nation’s immigration control controls”. To reach Hispanic voters the commercial will air in English as well as Spanish.

Both the Texas Governor Greg Abbott (Republican) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (Republican) are leading opponents to Biden’s immigrant policies. A third official in the United States claims that Abbott and DeSantis may be possible Republican presidential contenders in 2024. Accordingly to them, the White House closely monitors their gubernatorial elections.

According to an official who asked anonymity for internal discussions, the Biden administration works with other allies to counter criticism.

Another strategy is to remind voters Trump’s “zero tolerance” border policy. It led to the deportation of thousands upon thousands of migrants children and was condemned internationally, the official stated.

Also, the White House believes that it will be able to accelerate asylum processing at its southern border. This is a highly-anticipated plan which has not yet produced significant results.

However, many pro-immigrant activists still remain skeptical. Jennifer Quigley is the senior director of government affairs for Human Rights First.

Quigley stated that they don’t view lawful and humane entry for asylum seekers to be a political win.

(Corrects the contrast with contrasts in paragraph 16