Immigration, a historically polarizing issue in the United States, has experienced dramatic oscillations in public perception, revealing a constant dance between political rhetoric, practical reality, and the moods of public opinion. Data from the Gallup poll show that, since the early 2000s, support for expanding immigration has grown — until, starting in 2021, there was a leap towards restriction, evidencing the impact of conservative discourse on American society.

Donald Trump effectively capitalized on this sentiment during the 2024 campaign. His harsh and xenophobic rhetoric has gained popularity, including in regions with a strong presence of Latino immigrants, such as the Rio Grande Valley. However, the initial enthusiasm has given way to disappointment: recent polls show a significant drop in support for Trump on the issue of immigration, including among Latinos — an indication that the discourse, when put into practice, does not always stand up to reality.

While conservative immigration propaganda has proven powerful over the years — especially with the weakening of traditional journalism — the Trump administration's enforcement of policies has revealed excesses and abuses, generating a backlash. Cases of deportations without due process and authoritarian measures drew attention and provoked rejection. This reveals a gap: many supporters of the harsh rhetoric did not expect such extreme measures, nor the human and moral cost of these policies, according to an article published by The American Prospect.

On the Democratic side, the panorama is marked by hesitation. Presidents Obama and Biden have tried to balance repression and welcoming, failing to articulate a consistent defense of immigration as a national value. The absence of a strong pro-immigrant narrative left the field open for Republicans to shape the public debate, while the Kafkaesque bureaucracy of the immigration system continued to frustrate those who try to follow the rules, the article opines.

Also according to the publication, there is an opportunity in this impasse. The erosion of extremist rhetoric, combined with the lack of public understanding of the real functioning of the immigration system — slow, expensive, and dehumanizing — may open space for a narrative turn. History shows that the U.S. has always been able to successfully integrate new immigrants, and that fear of the other, often artificially fed, is not sustained in the face of daily coexistence.

If Democrats abandon their fear of the polls and take a firmer, more pedagogical stance in favor of immigration — as Republicans have done in pushing their own agenda — they could not only change public opinion but reverse the cycle of fear and misinformation. Support for mass deportations crumbled when their brutality became visible. This may be the sign that it is time to, instead of adjusting the message to the wind of the day, simply lead.