Turning Tides

We are witnessing a shift in public opinion on immigration. After decades of anti-immigrant propaganda, the actions of the current administration are so repulsive that the majority of people are objecting to what they regard as “harsh” violations of human rights. This shift is a result of the countless acts of courage that have made visible the lawless, cruel actions of an administration cynically manipulating fear to forge instruments for its own power.

A recent report by Brookings documents that a majority of people do not support the current administration. In polling by The Economist/YouGov from July 11 to 14, 2025, 52% percent of Americans think that President Trump’s approach to immigration has been “too harsh,” compared to 36% who think it has been “about right.” Similarly, 54% say  that in enforcing immigration laws, ICE agents have gone “too far.” Only 27% say that their actions are “about right.” 

It turns out roving bands of masked men abducting people from parking lots, grocery stores, public buildings, schools, and churches is not popular. People are especially concerned with the attacks on basic standards of due process.  The majority of people now belief that the administration is making too many mistakes because it prioritizes actions over care. The majority think immigrants should be able to challenge their deportation in courts.

There is also growing concern over the development of deportation centers and the fact that they are operating without any effective oversight.

The Florida detention center, known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” built in wetlands surrounded by alligators and crocodiles, is perceived as a place where people’s rights and dignity are being violated.

The majority now believe that the administration has failed to make important distinctions and is deporting “more people than they expected.” They are especially concerned that deportations appear to no longer be aimed at “dangerous criminals” but are “unfairly singling out” people from Central and South America.

Perhaps most importantly, today sixty four percent of people polled say that being open to immigration is essential to the wellbeing of the country.

These shifts in attitudes did not come about by accident. They are the product of the public protests, civil disobedience, court challenges, and courageous acts of defiance. Widespread citizen reporting has contributed greatly to exposing the tactics of ICE.

These changing attitudes are also the product of the very real fears that the administration is using immigration to establish a national police state. The drive toward a greater concentration of power and to limit the civil liberties of people who disagree with authoritarian policies is clear. 

This new budget not only dismantles many of the most progressive programs of the last sixty years, but it also allocates $178 billion to finance the development of detention centers and troops on the ground. As Cahterine Rampell reported in the Washington Post, this emerging immigration industrial complex means:

 Spending more dollars to round up gardeners, home health aides, grad students, nannies, construction workers, etc.

In other words, the administration is going after your family, neighbors and friends, regardless of how long they’ve been here, whether they present any “safety” threat or how much they’ve contributed to their communities.

While cutting back on everything from food for children to national parks, the spending on ICE this year will also be larger than most other countries’ military budgets.

Funding for ICE agents is expected to quadruple in the last year of Trump’s second term.

As support among the people for ICE erodes, it is critical that city and state leadership join the people driven initiatives to shift to a more human and open understanding of our responsibilities to each other. All of us have choices to make about how we are best able to stop this cruel drive toward destruction of all we value. We are turning the tide.