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Republican House Speaker<\/span> Mike Johnson was wrangling votes for a massive budget bill Wednesday when House Democratic leaders gathered their caucus on the U.S. Capitol steps.<\/p>\n Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other lawmakers denounced provisions in the bill that would leave 12 million people uninsured while handing tax breaks to the wealthy. They have attempted to adopt a tough<\/a> posture against the sweeping legislation and rebrand it as \u201cOne Big, Ugly Bill.\u201d<\/p>\n One big thrust of the bill wasn\u2019t mentioned, however: the $170 billion<\/a> that Republicans want to use on mass deportation and border walls.<\/p>\n After taking a drubbing in the November election, Democratic leaders in Congress have been notably quiet about the bill\u2019s efforts to turbocharge Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown<\/a>. That has frustrated some rank-and-file Democrats and advocates for immigrants, who say that whatever polling advantage Republicans had on the issue is dwindling as fast as ICE raids multiply.<\/p>\n \u201cThe election made them nervous on immigration, and they haven\u2019t quite recovered yet,\u201d said an Democratic immigration activist and former congressional staffer, who requested anonymity to speak frankly about party leadership. \u201cWe need more polling and research to show them, frankly, because it\u2019s becoming extremely unpopular.\u201d<\/p>\n The photo op on the House steps had something in common with Jeffries\u2019s statement <\/a>last month about the passage of the House version of the budget, as well as a press conference that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer gave Tuesday<\/a> about the Senate version.<\/p>\n None of them mentioned immigration.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The leaders\u2019 offices did not respond to requests for comment, but some political observers think the reason for the silence is clear enough. Many consultants believe that Democrats lost in November because President Donald Trump successfully controlled<\/a> the narrative<\/a> by demonizing immigrants<\/a>.<\/p>\n In other contexts, especially when members of their caucuses have been personally threatened, congressional Democratic leaders have taken opportunities to speak out about immigration, like when Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was handcuffed<\/a> at a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem<\/a>, or when first-term Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-New Jersey, was arrested outside <\/a>an ICE jail<\/a>.<\/p>\n During the budget bill fight, however, party leadership has focused their messaging on massive cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act plans, and tax breaks for the uberwealthy.<\/p>\n From one perspective, the Democrats\u2019 messaging appears to have worked. Polls show that the budget bill is generally unpopular with Americans<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yet there are some Democrats who believe that party leaders have missed an opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cHave we talked about it enough? No. That\u2019s the honest truth,\u201d said Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill. \u201cPart of the problem we have had about immigration is we don\u2019t know how to talk about it. This is not about what you think about the border. Do you stand up for humanity or not?\u201d<\/p>\n The White House still seems to believe that it has an advantage on the issue, as evidenced by Vice President JD Vance\u2019s claims on social media <\/a>this week that Medicaid cuts are \u201cimmaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n