Bill de Blasio and Gavin Newsom May Give Restrictionism New Life
To President Donald Trump, unauthorized immigration is a grave threat that must be deterred and repelled, with force if need be. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, the most populous state in the union, and Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York, the nation’s most populous city, see things rather differently. Both have announced new initiatives to provide unauthorized immigrants residing in their jurisdiction with a more comprehensive suite of medical benefits, with an eye toward eventually going further.
The contrast between the promise of a border wall, Trump’s chief priority at the moment, and of reliable, subsidized access to what might otherwise be exorbitantly expensive medical treatment is unmistakable. The first says, in no uncertain terms, “Keep out.” The second: “Whether you’ve settled here lawfully or otherwise, you are very welcome to stay.” But the promises that de Blasio and Newsom are making also reveal a key vulnerability
