Immigration

This is not supposed to happen — the media villagers’ “conventional wisdom” is that the GOP establishment has defeated the Tea Party in GOP primaries this year. Well, the Tea Party just claimed its biggest victory to date — a teabagger has defeated the No. 2 in House GOP leadership, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Cantor falls to tea party challenger:

In a stunning upset propelled by tea party activists, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) was defeated in Tuesday’s congressional primary, with insurgent David Brat delivering an unpredicted and devastating loss to the second most powerful Republican in the House who has widely been touted as a future speaker.

The race called shortly after 8 p.m. Eastern by the Associated Press, and Cantor conceded a short time later.

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While almost every Tea-Publican candidate in Arizona seeks to exploit the humanitarian crisis of refugee children fleeing violence from Central America as an opportunity for political advantage in their GOP primary by ratcheting up anti-immigrant hysteria — stealing a page from Jan Brewer’s successful 2010 playbook, Ariz. lawmakers demand action on border influx, causing The Republic’s E.J. Montini to ask, Are we about to experience SB 1070 all over again? — our Democratic state legislators are more humanitarian, demonstrating genuine concern and Christian compassion for these refugee children.

The Nogales International reported Legislators see ‘very sad situation’ at BP station:

A trio of state legislators visited the Nogales Border Patrol Station on Sunday, where they saw children as young as infants being cared for in a warehouse that has unexpectedly been transformed into an ad-hoc detention and processing center for hundreds of Central American minors.

“I commend the Border Patrol for doing what they’re needing to do at this time, but I have to say that it is a very sad situation,” said Rep. Rosanna Gabaldon (D-Sahuarita), who represents Nogales and Santa Cruz County as part of Legislative District 2.

Gabaldon toured the facility with fellow LD2 Rep. Demion Clinco and LD10 Rep. Stefanie Mach, both Democrats from Tucson, a week after the Department of Homeland Security began sending unaccompanied Central American minors to Nogales after facilities in South Texas were overwhelmed by a recent influx of underage, undocumented migrants.

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It takes Jorge Ramos from Univision and Fusion television nowadays to demonstrate to the D.C. media villagers how a real reporter should deal with the “Worst. Speaker. Ever.” Jorge Ramos Confronts John Boehner On Immigration:

Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) was confronted about House inaction on immigration reform at his weekly press conference Thursday by the country’s most prominent Hispanic journalist, Jorge Ramos, in what proved to be a tense exchange.

“Mr. Speaker, we came here to ask you, why are you blocking immigration reform?” said Ramos, a TV anchor for the Spanish-language Univision and for Fusion.

Boehner responded, “Me? Blocking?” and laughed.

“Yes, you personally. Yeah, you could bring it to a vote and you haven’t,” Ramos said.

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[Boehner] placed the blame on President Barack Obama, saying he’s “ignor[ing]” the law and needs to build trust, citing his revisions to Obamacare.

Ramos, who frequently speaks out for immigration reform, wasn’t having any of it. “What does Obamacare have to do with immigration reform?” he demanded. “The Senate passed it almost a year ago and you haven’t moved on that. Many people are questioning your leadership and your vision on this.”

When the Speaker didn’t budge, saying there’s “nobody more interested” in passing immigration reform than he is, Ramos again pressed.

“You can do it. You haven’t done it,” he said. “You can do it, Mr. Speaker. You can do it and you really haven’t done it.”

Boehner replied: “I appreciate your opinion. Thank you.”

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Defying House Republican leadership, Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) filed his bill, known as the ENLIST Act, as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that the House will consider this week. The amendment would create a path to citizenship for immigrants who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children and serve in the military. GOP congressman pushes for immigration vote:

His move comes three days after House GOP leaders took steps to block a vote on his immigration legislation, dealing a significant blow to efforts to overhaul a system widely disparaged as dysfunctional.

The bill “provides an avenue for those who want to perform the ultimate act of patriotism — serving their county — to earn legal status,” Denham said in a statement. “As a veteran, I can think of no better way to demonstrate your commitment to our nation.”

The Rules Committee will decide on Tuesday what amendments the House will consider and vote on as part of its work on the National Defense Authorization Act.

Doug Heye, spokesman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, said on Friday: “No proposed ENLIST amendments to NDAA will be made in order.”

The GOP-led Rules panel rarely breaks with the leadership, following its wishes.

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