A camouflage-clad mannequin was placed on a table as Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with officials about recent home invasions in Orange County.

The gadget involves Chileans who entered the United States through loopholes in the immigration system, wearing special suits resembling foliage, hiding near their homes, breaking in, usually from a second-floor balcony, and stealing cash. It was intended to draw attention to the claim that , jewelry and other expensive items.

“The arrests of these people will have no effect,” McCarthy said Friday at a news conference at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office with several Southern California Republican lawmakers.

It was a rare public appearance for McCarthy outside of his Bakersfield-based constituency, although in California. And as the Republican Party’s narrow control of Congress is at stake next year, the party’s leadership is more moderate, trying to appeal to wealthy suburbans in traditional conservative strongholds like the important Orange County, border control and He indicated that he was emphasizing public safety. their way to victory.

Alongside McCarthy, Republicans Rep. Michelle Steele of Seal Beach, Rep. Young Kim of La Habra, and Rep. Ken Calvert of Corona, all of the Southern California seats in control of Congress. In 2024, we will face a fierce election campaign to compete for the

Polls show voters in California and across the country prioritize economic concerns, but messages about crime and immigration will make Republican candidates a hotspot in the 2022 midterm elections. The victory boosted the support of some liberal-minded voters, especially Asian Americans. Two years ago, former President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign ended in failure.

Such a message could be particularly effective in traditional Republican areas that voted for Democratic presidential candidates when Trump was the Republican nominee, congressional predictions for the bipartisan Cook Political Report. The paper rated nine of California’s 52 congressional districts as competitive, said David Wasserman. The 2024 election will be the most of any state in the nation.

“It’s a strategy that will sway suburban voters, especially women, who may personally hate President Trump, but who may be more willing to vote Republican on other issues like illegal immigration and crime,” she said. It’s a strategic move,” he said. Republicans “know that they need to hold these seats to keep the House alive.”

The event, which featured Orange County home invasions, comes hours before McCarthy heads a big fundraiser focused on protecting vulnerable California legislators, including Steele and Calvert. was broken Donors donated up to $100,000 to attend rallies at the exclusive Pacific Club in Newport Beach, which was off-limits to the press.

In front of the camera, McCarthy was able to focus on niche issues of bipartisan interest, focusing on both immigration and crime. That is the issue facing Orange County prosecutors regarding the visa waiver program that allows people from participating countries to travel. If you stay in the United States within 90 days without obtaining a visa.

Distance Athi. Todd Spitzer said the Chilean government’s refusal to provide criminal records for citizens entering the country under the program made it difficult to prosecute members of the criminal gang he accused of recent burglary charges. said that it has become McCarthy threatened to block funding for the visa waiver program unless the Biden administration barred Chileans from entering the country using the visa program without a background check.

Concerns about Chile’s visa situation have drawn concern from Democrats as well as Republicans, but concerns about immigration and crime have long been at the heart of Republican movements across the country, often with success. Years of polls have shown that voters view Republicans as tougher on issues of justice. But polls in California also show that voters aren’t paying as much attention to these issues as they are to voters elsewhere in the country.

A California Institute of Public Policy study released earlier this month put crime in the top five priorities cited by Californians, but far behind the economy, homelessness and housing.

Still, crime fears are particularly hard hit in Orange County.

In last year’s district attorney’s race, incumbent Mr. Spitzer claimed himself to be the law and order candidate early in the campaign. His message, which included the slogan #NoLAinOC, focused on punishing criminals to prevent Orange County from becoming like Los Angeles. He defeated a progressive challenger in the primary and avoided the November runoff vote. Mr. Spitzer warned Mr. McCarthy about a burglary linked to a Chilean crime syndicate and appeared in court on Friday with lawmakers.

Jack Pitney, a professor of political science at Claremont McKenna College, said security had become a major problem since the late 1960s as violent crime rates doubled. Crime has since reached historically low levels, but there has been an increase in certain categories, so such discussions rely more on “individual horror stories than on overall trends.”

Pitney, who was a Republican for decades until Trump was elected in 2016, added that the same applies to immigrants. The influx hoped for by recent border policy changes did not materialize, but photos of illegal immigrants crossing the border still resonate with voters.

“It takes time for perception to catch up with data,” says Pitney. “People are in the suburbs out of fear of the city. I have.”

Part of this message is aimed at Asian Americans, a burgeoning voter base that could sway the race for tumultuous seats in California, especially the crucial Orange County. be.

The county prosecutor’s office has begun filing hate crime charges against some of the defendants arrested for home invasions for allegedly targeting wealthy Asians. Such increased sentencing could lead to longer sentences. Spitzer called the move “aggressive legal theory” and said he hoped it would attract the attention of lawmakers.

Karthik Ramakrishnan, a professor of political science at the University of California, Riverside who studies Asian-American voters, said it was a novel approach. When attacks against Asian Americans surged after the pandemic hit, Democrats framed the incident as a hate crime, while Republicans described it as a law and order issue. He added that the tactic could also be successful.

“Fear works,” he said. “The truth may be complicated when it comes to what causes crime to rise, but it hardly matters, even if crime is rising from historically low levels. Recognition is key.”