White House migration chief Esther Olavarria, a long-standing advocate of more migration and more amnesty, is quitting, marking a win for President Joe Biden’s network of East Coast advisors.
“This is going to be a real loss,” tweeted Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a pro-migration advocate at the pro-migration American Immigration Council.
Olavarria served as the deputy immigration official in Biden’s Domestic Policy Council. But Biden’s poll ratings were crushed by his migration deputies’ refusal to guard the border from poor migrants.
Susan Rice, who runs the policy council, provided polite praise of Olavarria in a statement to Politico:
“I could not be more grateful for Esther Olavarria’s myriad contributions to the Biden-Harris Administration, particularly her work to reverse the cruel and reckless policies of the previous Administration and to implement President Biden’s vision for a fair, orderly, and humane immigration system.”
“I often call Esther the ‘OG’ of immigration. Her expertise, wisdom, pragmatism and compassion are unmatched,” Rice added, according to a tweet from CNN.
White House officials earlier announced the exit of Tyler Moran, who formerly worked for pro-amnesty billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs.
Alida Garcia, a top lobbyist at the pro-migration advocacy group, FWD.us, worked in the White House but was let go after several months.
Other amnesty advocates have left the Department of Homeland Security, which is still run by pro-migration zealot Alejandro Mayorkas.
In September, officials announced the departure of David Shahoulian, Assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy. He is a former Hill aide to Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the top Democrat on the House immigration committee.
The exits are a win for Biden’s East Coast deputies, many of whom are pushing back against Biden’s pro-migration progressive deputies.
The pro-migration deputies are tied into the West Coast faction in the White House. The West Coast faction is headed by Vice President Kamala Harris, who is backed by the West Coast technology investors at FWD.us, and by their subordinate immigration advocates. This wing has pushed far-left policies that have damaged Biden’s polls and his ability to accomplish other goals.
But Biden’s East Coast faction is made of older Democrat staffers who are more willing to recognize the civic costs and political risks of easy migration. TheHill.com reported in December:
Sources pointed to Biden’s history as a loyal boss who enjoys a tight-knit inner circle of aides he has known for years, including White House chief of staff Ron Klain, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and senior advisers Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon.
Biden is on both sides of the dispute. He has repeatedly praised migration while also arguing that labor shortages help to raise Americans’ wages. In May 2021, he argued that a tight labor market spreads wealth to all corners of society:
“Full employment” also means more options and opportunities for workers — including Black, Hispanic workers, Amer- — Asian American workers, women — who’ve been left behind in previous economic recoveries when the labor market never tighten- — tightened up enough.
Look, this isn’t just good for individual workers, it also makes our economy a whole lot stronger. When American workers have more money to spend, American businesses benefit. We all benefit. Higher wages and more options for workers are a good thing.
Amid the turmoil, DHS chief Mayorkas is mapping out a careful plan that uses regulations to open a wide variety of quasi-legal doorways on the border.
This “fair, orderly, and humane immigration system” is intended to minimize TV publicity and public alarm while delivering myriad workers, consumers, and renters to the Democrats’ business allies — and many migrants who may eventually become voters for the Democratic Party.