Democrats Have Much to Gain—and Nothing to Fear—From Attacking ICE |
When the Democrats were gun-shy early last year about criticizing President Trump’s ramp-up of immigrant raids and deportations, that approach was substantively bad but made sense electorally. The percentage of Americans who wanted immigration levels to decrease had jumped from 31 percent in 2021, at the start of President Biden’s tenure, to 55 percent in 2024. Similarly, even though support for abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is at its highest level ever, only about 46 percent of Americans currently hold that stance. That number is likely lower in purple and red states, making it a somewhat dicey electoral position for the party.
But overall, views on immigration and ICE are rapidly shifting leftward as more Americans recoil at the administration’s crackdown on cities like Minneapolis, an ICE agent’s killing of Renee Nicole Good, and the shooting of Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Protection officers. There is a huge opportunity for Democrats to push for a new vision for immigration enforcement in America—basically anything short of abolishing ICE, and eventually that too.
The party should lean into a coming fight over Department of Homeland Security funding (which expires on January 30) and demand that Trump withdraw ICE personnel from Minneapolis and never again deploy them to punish blue cities.
Polling tells a very clear story—Americans have seen Trump’s immigration agenda, and they reject it. The number of Americans who want immigration levels dropped has plunged back to 30 percent, according to Gallup polling. Fifty-seven percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration, while only 41 percent approve, according to a recent New York Times/Siena poll. Fifty-seven percent disagree with how ICE is conducting its duties, compared to only 37 percent who agree, per YouGov.
And all of these surveys were taken before Pretti’s killing, which drew condemnation from professional athletes and others who usually stay out of politics.........