Jimmy de Souza wrote a piece in USA Today, arguing that Republicans don’t have “a great record” on illegal immigration, just like any government, government spending, or anything else.

“There are a whole lot of Republicans who think it’s all great and need to do it. It’s really not that bad of an idea. … The Republican Party’s leaders, like their fellow Republicans in Washington, D.C., have forgotten where they came from — the idea that a lot of people should be left to fend for themselves,” de Souza writes.

“They have been selling this to their base over and over and over again. Many in the party’s base think immigration is a problem but ignore that people in the U.S. are struggling and people in other countries have been struggling all along.”

De Souza adds further: “A lot of these Republicans are doing pretty well for themselves. Some of them are so successful, they’re actually making plenty of money off their immigration positions, and that isn’t sustainable.”

He goes on to say that Republicans’ “party” has been losing its influence over the last quarter-century, and that it’s been a struggle for those with the party’s power to “do something meaningful” on the issue of immigration.

He adds:

“What I worry about is that while these voters will never admit it to themselves, they are making themselves available for Democrats when it comes to any topic — social media, Hollywood, social media — when there are two big issues that matter to them.”

De Souza’s piece also adds insight into why so many think immigration is a top issue for Republicans, which is a very real concern for progressives.