“The Republicans will turn around and use this for a political weapon against Democrats — that we’re weak on the border, we’re not doing enough, we’re letting everybody in,” Cuellar said in an interview. “I’ve been warning the party and the administration: Don’t let this get out of hand, because all you’re going to do is you’re going to give Republicans an issue.”…

Many GOP strategists believe the path back to congressional majorities runs through moderate suburban districts where Democrats have made huge gains, driven by a backlash against Trump’s style and rhetoric. With Biden in office, they hope they can target Democratic policies without the distraction of Trump’s unorthodox tactics.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee recently commissioned polling that officials said showed that they would be running on favorable terrain when it comes to immigration.

“They’ve been negligent,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), NRSC chairman, said of the Biden administration. “It’s bad for the country to not have a secure border.”