Image by Barbara Zandoval.
On June 18, 2019, then-candidate Joe Biden appeared on the campaign trail at a posh fundraiser on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. He remarked to about a hundred prospective wealthy donors that if elected, “nothing will fundamentally change.” In the context of the quote, Biden was referencing their pocketbooks and stock portfolios under his leadership. As for the President’s skeptics, it’s a phrase that signals the status quo will broadly prevail.
To Biden’s credit, within the first few months, he’s moved faster compared to prior Democratic administrations. As for the immigration system he inherited — fueled by American nativism and bipartisanship — it looks as though it’s business as usual.