Now some of the same lawmakers say they and the president are unifying. They point to the protest movement as a reason.

“You know what? We’re coming together,” said Gutierrez, who has praised the administration for a new immigration enforcement policy that puts its primary focus on deporting illegal immigrants who commit other crimes. “Hey, maybe the protesters unified the Democratic Party.”…

The highly visible public outcry for longtime liberal causes has bolstered hopes on the left that the political tide is turning against the Tea Party and Republicans in Congress.

“To the extent that there’s been tension with the president … part of the reason is that the president’s had a hard time moving his agenda through a recalcitrant Congress,” said Lee of the AFL-CIO, which supports the protests. “If this kind of movement can help get politicians to do the right thing, then that should help address some of those tensions.”