At the Altar
Bernie Sanders Has an Immigration Problem With the Left
His rhetoric against guest-worker programs has brought him trouble with the left. Can he reframe it?
Senator Bernie Sanders speaks at George Mason University on Oct. 28, 2015, in Fairfax, Virginia.
Photographer: Alex Wong/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
With immigration in the forefront of the presidential race, Bernie Sanders faces a potential obstacle at Saturday's Democratic debate: How to defend his concerns about guest-worker programs without alienating would-be supporters.
As an independent senator from Vermont in 2007, Sanders was among progressives who objected to the program in President George W. Bush's immigration bill. Now, while seeking the Democrats' nomination, he's been accused of leaving Latinos “at the altar” with his vote against the bill; attacked by rival Martin O'Malley; and accused by immigration advocates of employing GOP talking points.