The close relationship between congressional Democrats and immigration advocacy groups has grown strained since last year’s election as lawmakers shift rightward on border issues.
Now those groups are asserting themselves as Republicans prepare to pursue a crackdown on so-called sanctuary cities.
Failing to rally together in opposition to planned GOP legislation, they say, would risk a more profound break between the Democratic Party and its progressive base while threatening resources in communities across the country.
“All the Democrats need to hold together,” said Naureen Shah, deputy director of government affairs at the ACLU, who called the bill “a real test case” and “one that we have to defeat.”