Key points:
- Trump administration targets immigrants and legal permanent residents.
- Gallup poll shows record-high support for immigration at 79%.
- Trump’s immigration policies face mounting legal challenges and public opposition.
Donald Trump and his allies insist they are only targeting “illegal” immigrants. But that line—used to rationalize ICE raids, deportations, and sweeping legal changes—has been exposed as a lie. From stripping legal status from Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders to seeking the denaturalization of U.S. citizens, the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is no longer about legality. It is about exclusion, fear, and power.
And the American public is turning against it.
According to a July 2025 Gallup poll, support for immigration has reached a record high. Seventy-nine percent of Americans now say immigration is a “good thing” for the country—up 9 points from last year. Only 30% want immigration levels reduced, a 25-point drop. Meanwhile, just 38% of Americans support mass deportations. Trump’s immigration approval stands at 35%, while disapproval has soared to 62%.
The message is clear: Americans don’t want mass deportations. They want a pathway to citizenship. They still believe in the promise of America as a nation of immigrants.
Yet Trump and his enablers continue to pursue policies that stretch far beyond “illegal immigration.” Earlier this month, ICE launched what is believed to be the largest single-day raid in California history, detaining approximately 200 people at farms in Camarillo and Carpinteria. According to witnesses, the raids were violent and chaotic. At least one farmworker is dead. In Perris, California, the mayor has told residents to shelter in place and not open their doors for fear of ICE sweeps.
These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a coordinated federal assault.
A recently leaked memo from ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons outlines a shocking new policy: immigrants can now be deported to third countries—places where they are not citizens and where the U.S. has provided no assurance they will be safe. In some cases, they may receive just six hours’ notice. In others, none at all. This marks a radical departure from long-standing U.S. practice and flouts both international law and basic decency.
Even immigrants who have been found by U.S. courts to be at risk of persecution in their home countries are now vulnerable. And if the administration gets its way, they may be sent to countries where they have no family, no language, and no legal protections.
The danger is not limited to undocumented immigrants. It now includes people who have lived in the U.S. legally for decades.
The Department of Homeland Security has terminated Temporary Protected Status for over 60,000 people from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua. Many have lived in the U.S. for more than 25 years. They have raised families, built careers, paid taxes, and followed every rule. Now, with just 60 days’ notice, they are being told to leave.
For Jhony Silva, a TPS holder from Honduras who came to the U.S. at age 3 and now works in a hospital, the decision is devastating. “I’ve been doing it the ‘right way’ the whole time,” he said. “Now, I am facing losing my job, the ability to care for my family, and the only home I’ve ever known.”
It doesn’t end there. The Department of Justice, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, has issued new guidance encouraging federal prosecutors to prioritize denaturalization cases—not just for fraud during the immigration process, but also for alleged crimes committed after citizenship was granted. In effect, citizenship is being redefined as a conditional status. One that can be revoked at will.
Legal experts warn that this approach is unprecedented and dangerous. It weaponizes the immigration system to serve political ends. One memo cited by the Miami Herald notes that prosecutors may pursue denaturalization even when cases don’t involve national security or fraud, but simply if they are deemed “sufficiently important” to warrant resources.
That open-ended language leaves the door wide open for political abuse. Already, Republican lawmakers have called for investigations into naturalized political opponents, including Uganda-born New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar. Trump himself has floated the idea of stripping citizenship from Elon Musk, a South African-born entrepreneur who has criticized the administration.
Make no mistake: this is not a policy of enforcement. It is a purge.
The administration’s vision is clear. It wants an America where citizenship is provisional, immigration is punishable, and political dissent is deportable.
That vision is not shared by most Americans. Seventy-eight percent support a pathway to citizenship. Only 38 percent support mass deportation. These numbers span parties, age groups, and regions. Even among independents—once skeptical—support for immigration remains strong.
A new chart from Gallup highlights the partisan divide. Ninety-one percent of Democrats and 80 percent of independents now say immigration is a good thing. Even among Republicans, the number has ticked upward to 64 percent—a significant rebound after years of hardline rhetoric. The Trump administration may have won over the MAGA base, but it has lost the broader public.
What’s more, the policies are likely illegal. Lawsuits are mounting. Immigrant rights groups have challenged the new third-country deportation policy, arguing that it violates federal law and international treaties. The Supreme Court recently overruled a lower court injunction blocking those deportations, but the legal battle is far from over.
TPS terminations are also facing litigation. The ACLU of Northern California, the National TPS Alliance, and other advocacy groups have sued the Trump administration for what they call a racially motivated dismantling of lawful immigration protections. They argue that the terminations violate the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional guarantees of equal protection.
These legal fights matter. But the moral argument matters just as much.
Trumpism insists that immigrants are to blame for America’s problems. It sees immigration as a threat, not a strength. But the truth is, this country has always drawn power from its diversity. From Ellis Island to the Rio Grande, immigrants have built, shaped, and defended this nation.
We should not accept this situation.
The lie that the Trump administration is only targeting undocumented people must be confronted. They are coming for TPS holders. They are coming for green card holders. They are coming for naturalized citizens. They are even coming for their political opponents.
We are watching an authoritarian playbook unfold—one where citizenship is no longer a right but a revocable privilege. And that is a danger not just to immigrants, but to all of us.
The public is waking up. The numbers are shifting. But outrage must become action. The country cannot look away.
“Gallup poll shows record-high support for immigration at 79%.”
Did the poll differentiate between “legal” vs. “illegal” immigration? And did it put a number on either type?
“Donald Trump and his allies insist they are only targeting “illegal” immigrants. But that line—used to rationalize ICE raids, deportations, and sweeping legal changes—has been exposed as a lie.”
It’s a lie to suggest that it’s a lie, with the possible exception of what you say below (assuming there’s any truth to it):
“The Department of Justice, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, has issued new guidance encouraging federal prosecutors to prioritize denaturalization cases—not just for fraud during the immigration process, but also for alleged crimes committed after citizenship was granted. In effect, citizenship is being redefined as a conditional status. One that can be revoked at will.”
(Pretty sure this would be illegal, and would not stand up in any court – including the Supreme court. Sounds like an impeachable offense, if it’s attempted. At some point, enough Republicans would step in – as they did with Nixon. I suspect that most of Trump’s base wouldn’t even support this.)