Hispanic Caucus spells out opposition to GOP border demands in X quote chain

Hispanic Democrats are trumpeting their opposition to any funding bill that includes Republican demands to permanently change border management laws in exchange for aid to Ukraine.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) members are making their case through a quote chain on X started by Rep. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), as Republicans on both sides of the Capitol dig their heels in on their demands.

“We’re here to have a real conversation to fix our broken immigration system. But we cannot pay this price at the expense of our American values, not as as a nation of immigrants,” Menendez wrote on the platform formerly known as Twitter.

“I am a NO on a supplemental that includes the GOP’s extreme immigration policies,” he added, “WBU @RepCasar?”

Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) followed up saying “House & Senate Democrats must NOT throw asylum seekers under the bus. It’s ridiculous that Republicans are demanding we hurt immigrants in exchange for Ukraine $,” and tagging Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.).

Ramirez — “I am a HELL NO on a suplemental” — tagged Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), who pinged Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.), who called on CHC Chair Nanette Díaz Barragán (D-Calif.), followed by Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.), and Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.).

Frost tagged Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), who was the 10th CHC member to forward the chain, tagging Rep. Gabe Vázquez (D-N.M.).

The social media chain underscores a push by the CHC to show its voting muscle and intent to become the gatekeeper of immigration legislation, in the model of the Congressional Black Caucus’s influence over civil rights bills.

The CHC has 38 voting members in the House and four in the Senate, and it has some measure of support from the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus on the issue.

But the CHC is weary of past instances when its reclamations on immigration bills have been overlooked in favor of other Democratic priorities — a real danger as Republicans have vowed to stick to their demands even at the risk of abandoning Ukraine.

The CHC quote chain was in part precipitated by Republican bluster on the issue, specifically a statement by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), closing the door on any attempts to negotiate the bill’s border provisions.

“There’s a misunderstanding on the part of [Senate Majority Leader] Sen. [Chuck] Schumer [D-N.Y.] and some of our Democratic friends. This is not a traditional negotiation, where we expect to come up with a bipartisan compromise on the border. This is a price that has to be paid in order to get the supplemental,” Cornyn told NBC News.

—Updated at 5:02 p.m.