Two immigration moves underscore the issue’s 2024 potency: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill.

In today’s edition, deputy politics editor Adam Wollner looks at how two immigration-related moves — one in Washington, D.C., and one in Arizona — highlight the issue's importance ahead of the 2024 election. Plus, national political correspondent Steve Kornacki breaks down how the shifting demographics of Donald Trump's base could affect his Electoral College advantage.

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Two immigration moves underscore the issue’s 2024 potency

By Adam Wollner

The politically fraught battle over the U.S. southern border was back in the spotlight Tuesday, with Democrats in Washington aiming to reverse the tide on an issue they’ve long been vulnerable on and Republicans in a key battleground state hoping to further capitalize on it.

President Joe Biden, who has faced withering criticism over the migrant influx at the border, signed a long-awaited executive order that will temporarily shut down asylum requests when crossings surge, NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez and Monica Alba report. Since the average number of daily encounters has already crossed the 2,500 threshold, the shutdown would go into effect immediately.

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For Biden, the move represents a stark shift to the right on immigration: The restrictions are reminiscent of those then-President Donald Trump sought to enact in 2018, but were blocked by the courts.

More than 2,000 miles west, Arizona Republican lawmakers acted to put the issue of the border directly before voters this