Immigration | Breaking Big Money's Grip on America

The winds of change are in the air and signs that the tide may be turning in favor of democracy are beginning to appear.

One such indicator is the retirement of some elder Democratic Congresspeople. Rep. Jerry Natler, a 78-year-old New York liberal, has been in Congress for more than 30 years since 1992. He believes it’s time for a younger generation to take the reins of power and that they may be better able to save the nation from Trump’s autocracy.[1] And he’s not alone.

As of September 2, 10 Congressional Democrats are not running for re-election next year. I’m sure more will follow them. Another one calling it quits is Rep. Jan Schakowsky, 81, of Illinois. She feels it’s time to pass the baton.[2]

Additionally, some young Democrats are challenging elder incumbents in next year’s primaries. Politico reports that they “are chafing at what they see as feeble leadership protecting the status quo in Washington…They’re channeling the burbling anger inside the Democratic Party base that’s not only furious at President Donald Trump, but also at the way congressional leaders have failed to mount a meaningful resistance.”[3] A new wave of younger, more assertive Democrats is clearly emerging. Will it be big enough and strong enough to overcome Trump and his MAGA movement remains to be seen.

At the same time, Trump’s inept handling of the economy offers evidence that his autocratic leanings are not good for the American people. The unemployment rate is the highest in almost four years and “millions of workers are unable to find full-time employment,” according to Alex Jacquez at the progressive advocacy organization Groundwork Collaborative. And Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) noted that Trump inherited a solid economy and “in just seven months, he’s managed to screw it up…Now, working families are getting squeezed from every direction: higher prices, Republicans’ Big Ugly Law ripping health care away from millions, and a job market that’s slowing down.”[4]

The conservative Wall Street Journal agreed. It placed the blame for the slowdown on Trump and his unilateral tariff crusade, which is wrecking the very industries—like mining and manufacturing—that he campaigned on saving last year. Its editorial board wrote, “Repeat after us: Tariffs are taxes, and taxes hurt economic growth.”[5] And, according to a new NBC poll, more than 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation.[6]

Moreover, Trump’s immigration policy is actually undermining his efforts to expand American manufacturing. Last week ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raided a new Hyundai plant in Georgia that will produce electric car batteries, and detained 475 workers, most of them South Korean nationals. In 2022, Georgia’s Republican governor called the plant “the largest economic development project in our state’s history.”[7] This unnecessary, Trump-generated disruption will be detrimental to both countries’ economies as well as to their overall relationship. It is but another example of why Trump’s authoritarianism is bad for America.

Meanwhile, the controversy over the Epstein files continues to embroil Trump. Though he insists it’s all a Democratic hoax, a massive poll conducted by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky) found that over 90% of respondents did not agree with Trump that the case was a hoax and called for the release of all the evidence that would likely incriminate many wealthy Trump supporters, if not the president himself.[8] Other Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga), are demanding the release of all the Epstein files. “We campaigned on transparency issues,” she argued. “All of a sudden, there’s this hard stance coming from the Republican leadership and many of the members and the administration, and I’m shocked by it…The truth needs to come out,” Greene concluded.[9]

There are other examples of Trump’s dictatorial efforts floundering, e.g. his regime’s vaccine and labor policies, which need to be addressed as well. But what is now becoming abundantly clear is the vulnerability of Trump’s fascist regime. What is not so clear is whether the majority of Americans who oppose it[10] will stand up to his autocracy and build a stronger democracy in our country.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), and his new memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu. He is the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

[1] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democratic-rep-jerry-nadler-to-retire-from-congress/ar-AA1LFXEO?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[2] https://thedailybs.com/2025/05/05/longtime-dem-congresswoman-calls-it-quits-after-26-years/

[3] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/09/democrats-age-primary-campaigns-032542

[4] https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-august-jobs-report

[5] https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/murdoch-paper-slams-trump-after-disastrous-jobs-report/ar-AA1M1oEH?ocid=BingNewsVerp

[6] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/midterm-warning-signs-nbc-poll-140951595.html

[7] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/08/trump-warns-foreign-companies-hyundai-immigration-raid-south-korea-00550030?utm_content=user/politico&utm_source=flipboard

[8] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trumps-epstein-hoax-remark-firmly-rejected-in-republicans-online-poll/ar-AA1M0Yl0?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[9] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mtg-launches-fresh-assault-gop-171024200.html

[10] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-approval-rating-poll-august-vaccines-b2821821.html

There are so many diverse issues in this year’s elections that it’s hard to tell which ones may determine the outcome next November. Of course, the economy, including inflation, will play an important role in the election. It always does.

But I believe four other issues will be critically important in this election. Specifically, abortion, the Israel-Hamas War, immigration, and democracy. Let’s them take one at a time.

Abortion. Like Biden, the great majority of Americans support a woman’s right to choose. That includes 43% of Republicans. About 1 in 8 voters (12%) now say that abortion is the most important issue for their vote in the 2024 elections.[1] While Trump recently declared that the abortion issue should be left up to the states, he takes pride in having appointed the three Supreme Court justices responsible for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Given the opportunity, the Republican Party will likely enact a national ban on abortion. Despite his latest statement, I doubt Trump would risk the fury of conservatives by vetoing an abortion ban bill. As president, he would undoubtedly sign a national ban. Abortion rights supporters know that voting for Biden is the only way to absolutely prevent that from happening. A strong turnout by them in critical swing states could very well be the decisive factor in the election. In fact, the Democrats could win both the House and the Senate as well with a compelling pro-choice campaign.

Israel-Hamas War. On the other hand, Biden’s handling of the war has cost him support among youth,[2] Arab-Americans, and others. Many Democrats, including Sens. Sanders and Kaine who come from different wings of the party, have criticized Biden’s failure to condition U.S. aid to Israel and to demand a ceasefire.[3] Recently, the president appears to finally be pressuring Israel, but it could be too little too late. He needs to stand up to Prime Minister Netanyahu and force Israel to end the war by cutting off unconditional aid.

Unfortunately, the end to the war is nowhere in sight. This could cost Biden the election. We need to lobby the Biden administration to take immediate steps to severely limit civilian casualties, demand a permanent ceasefire, and make further aid to Israel conditional.

Immigration. This issue offers Biden a significant challenge as well as a great opportunity. The Republicans blame Biden for the huge number of undocumented immigrants entering the U.S. from Mexico. Yet, it was Trump who pushed the Republicans to reject their own border security bill, which would have gone a long way toward solving the crisis at our southern border.[4]

The challenge for Biden is to reframe immigration as beneficial in the minds and hearts of Americans. We are a nation of immigrants who came to the United States seeking a better life. Immigrants make valuable contributions to our country in farming and numerous other endeavors. We need them to keep our economy strong. They want to be here and, on average, are more law-abiding than native-born Americans.[5]

If he reframes the issue, Biden has an opportunity to turn immigration into a winner for Democrats. While we must secure our borders and control the number of immigrants entering our country, immigrants are a valuable asset to America. Trump formulates immigration as a crime and security issue. Actually, it’s an economic and humanitarian matter. Biden needs to confront Trump head-on and set the record straight.

Democracy. If elected, Trump wants to be a dictator on day one of his presidency. He idolizes autocrats like Russia’s Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and envisions having the supreme power they have. Since the great majority of Republican officeholders support Trump and desire the same control over America that he does, they all need to be defeated. The Democrats need to make this clear to the voting public.

Whether American democracy survives could be the biggest issue in this year’s election. Biden and all Democrats running for office in November should make the survival of our democracy the central theme of their campaigns. Will we, the people continue to have a voice in determining abortion, immigration, and all other public policies? Or will the United States become an authoritarian regime led by Trump?

The path to victory for Biden and the Democrats is clear. Whether they have the vision and wisdom to take it is another question.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

[1] https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/press-release/1-in-8-voters-say-abortion-is-most-important-to-their-vote-they-lean-democratic-support-biden-and-want-abortion-to-be-legal/

[2] https://www.vox.com/2024-elections/24125496/young-voters-trump-biden-polling

[3] https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/04/05/congress/bernies-advice-to-biden-on-israel-00150808

[4] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-kill-border-bill-sign-trumps-strength-mcconnells-waning-in-rcna137477

[5] https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/mythical-tie-between-immigration-and-crime