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Since his first presidential run, President Donald Trump’s immigration rhetoric was laser-focused on building walls and banishing “bad hombres.” Love it or loathe it, the logic was clear: control the border and swiftly deport those “bringing crime” into the country.
Six months into his second term, however, Trump’s focus has drifted. A new American Immigration Council report shows that instead of taking aim at criminals and bad actors, the Trump administration is now targeting law-abiding immigrants, including many long-standing and valued members of our communities.
This isn’t what Americans expected, and it’s not what we want. A recent Gallup poll found that just 30% of us want less immigration, while a record-high 79% say immigration is good for the country. Even those who worry about border crossings have no desire to see our neighbors detained or harassed.
The data clearly shows that in recent months ICE has shifted to targeting noncriminal immigrants. After Trump’s inauguration, more than three-quarters of ICE detainees had criminal records. Today, though, barely half of detainees have been in legal trouble; the rest are law-abiding folks scooped up by agents eager to nab bonuses for meeting detention quotas.
ICE DEPORTATION EFFORTS COULD BE DERAILED IF CONGRESS DOESN’T ACT SOON
But such harassment is the natural consequence of the Trump administration’s insistence on demonizing law-abiding immigrants. Already, the Trump administration has stripped Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from nearly 1 million people, and revoked hundreds of thousands of humanitarian visas. Overnight, all those people – who came here with the government’s permission – have been ordered to pack their bags.
That’s a cruel policy, and one that robs the construction and hospitality industries – already struggling with labor shortages – of a quarter of a million legal workers. It’s doing untold damage to businesses: nationwide, one-quarter of construction workers – and over half of specialty tradesmen like painters and roofers – are foreign-born, powering an industry that contributes 4.5% of America’s GDP.
The AIC report shows just how the administration’s approach is playing out. In February 2025, ICE detained a Venezuelan asylum seeker named Yapa while he was heading to work. They took his ID and government-issued work permit and then detained him hundreds of miles from his home. His American partner Kaelyn went into debt trying to secure legal assistance on his behalf. She said, “People would tell me, ‘Oh you’re overreacting. This isn’t 1930s Germany.’ And I’d say, ‘Yeah, but it’s starting to feel that way.’”
Beatriz, an immigration attorney who previously represented children, has seen the government put kids in foster care or even detention after their caregivers have been detained. In some cases, the government has refused to tell the kids’ attorneys where their caregivers are being held. “It’s something none of my superiors – including people who worked during Trump’s first term – have ever experienced before,” she says.
TRUMP HAS A SECRET WEAPON TO DEFEAT ACTIVIST JUDGES ON IMMIGRATION
Then there’s Axel, a Dreamer who was brought here from Guatemala at age 7, won a scholarship to Duke, and became the first in his family to attend college. His successes were made possible by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allowed him to live, work and dream of a future in the United States.
Now, Trump’s scattershot policies have left Axel second-guessing that future. He’s been stopped repeatedly at “random” traffic stops and grilled about his immigration status. He’s seen members of his community detained by ICE on their way to work or school. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security warned this summer that America’s 530,000 DACA recipients “may be subject to arrest and deportation,” leaving vast numbers of hard-working young people terrified and confused about their place in our communities.
Even immigrants who’ve gained green cards or citizenship are being impacted. Arbitrary travel bans have left 4.3 million lawful U.S. residents – including 2.4 million U.S. citizens – with no way to bring loved ones to live with them, or even to host family members for short-term visits.
As the child of immigrants myself, I’m horrified to see America closing its doors to others. My parents came from India in the 1960s so that my father could work as a rural surgeon. Because of that, thousands of his patients received quality healthcare, and I grew up proudly American, dedicating myself to a life in public service.
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Now, though, the Trump administration is even threatening to “denaturalize” and deport U.S. citizens. That’s a complex legal process that’s unlikely to happen at scale. But it’s a clear attempt to intimidate immigrants who’ve played by the rules, built lives here and made the ultimate commitment to our great nation by becoming American citizens.
Such stories expose the reality of President Trump’s immigration policies. With three and a half years left of the Trump presidency, it’s time for our lawmakers, our local leaders and all of us to stand up. We need to make clear that while border security is a big deal, law-abiding immigrants remain welcome in communities across America.
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