, Columnist
No One's Actually Talking About Immigration
There's a fake debate of "for" and "against." But wait. For what? Against what?
A wall is off topic.
Photographer: ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
After the parties’ national conventions, one theme that shines out of both is the complete incoherence of our “national conversation about immigration.” Because it’s not really a conversation.
Both conventions leaned heavily on immigration issues. The Republicans portrayed immigration as a bad thing, by highlighting the parents of individuals killed by illegal immigrants. The Democrats were equally avid to show the upsides of immigration, including with a beaming 11-year-old child who is here illegally.