Chain migration. They must protect that at all costs, as they will no longer be a national party if their repopulation efforts are halted.
The Dems would give the other two (the Wall and the Lottery) for DACA...especially because DACA gives chain migration a shot in the arm and a ‘deal’ leaving chain migration alone, even for a wall, would be considered a HUGE Trump defeat.
Just hard to see how there can be a ‘compromise’ here.
Thank you for the considered answer. I agree that the Dems will see Chain Migration as the most important so that would mean funding for the Wall.
IMO, not funding the Wall would be a bigger “broken promise” the Dems and media would trumpet than letting the Dems win on Chain Migration. But the base would be infuriated if the Dems approved funding for the Wall, even for “the DACA kids”. They see the Wall as a symbol of racism and intolerance rather than one of security.
But, in either case, Trump wins something that the Dems would have otherwise never allowed to happen. To their base, they’ll be accused of folding and caving the same way we see the GOP. It will be a win for Trump.
I really would like to see Trump win on all three planks but it’s completely unrealistic with the fickle votes we have in the Senate, plus getting 8-10 crossovers. SOMETHING has to be sacrificed so I think you put the ball back in Schumer’s court and tell him it’s his choice on 2-out-of-3 or the kids get sent back and his base pillories him again for a longer shutdown.