[happytoexplain]

Democrats can't win on immigration. Even if they presented a plan to uncharacteristically reduce legal immigration, and somehow deport every single illegal immigrant and secure every border, they would still pledge humanity (due process, humane treatment, etc). The conservative version will always appear more effective because they pledge brutal tenacity with a sneer. People are desperate for the improvement they believe would occur (regardless of whether that's true), and not enough of them would have faith in a careful, measured version of the solution.