Trump’s immigration policy is a resounding success

The Democrats’ decisive defeat in 2024 exposed their catastrophic failures on immigration, yet they are doubling down on the chaos with calculated recklessness.

By fueling anti-ICE riots and pushing lawless policies, they have declared war on America’s safety and its citizens. Meanwhile, President Trump is demolishing them on this issue, as Americans rise up against the Democrats’ dangerous, self-destructive illegal immigration agenda.

Trump’s “Worst Goes First” policy is doing precisely what Democrats wouldn’t — putting Americans first. In Trump’s first 100 days, 75 percent of ICE arrests targeted criminals with convictions or pending charges, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security. This relentless crackdown is making communities safer, despite Democrats’ cries of “fascism.”

The border numbers don’t lie. In May 2025, border encounters crashed to 8,725 — a staggering 93 percent drop from May 2024, when 117,905 crossed under Biden. The real shocker? Not a single illegal border-crosser was released into the U.S. in May 2025, compared to more than 62,000 dumped into the country in May 2024 under Biden.

Americans are fed up. A New York Times poll shows 87 percent support deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records. Even 63 percent back deporting those who entered illegally under Biden, and 55 percent want all illegal immigrants removed. These numbers obliterate Democrats’ delusions.

Legal immigrant voters may be turning on Democrats harder than anyone else. In 2020, they favored Democrats by 32 points on the immigration issue. Now they trust Trump and Republicans more by a net 8 points — an astonishing 40-point swing, per CNN’s Harry Enten.

The verdict is clear: Americans—and immigrants—are done with Democrats' lawless and calculated sabotage of border enforcement under Biden. They are rallying behind Trump’s bold, results-driven vision of law and order.

While Trump’s immigration policies deliver results, Democrats are consumed by petty theatrics. Their obsession with stunts is endangering Americans.

Rep. Lamonica McIver (D-N.J.) has been indicted for obstructing law enforcement during a DHS operation. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) turned a Homeland Security press event into a circus, only to be detained for his antics.

These aren’t isolated incidents — they comprise a pattern of Democrats prioritizing showmanship over safety.

In Wisconsin, Judge Hannah Dugan was indicted for allegedly helping an illegal alien evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A judge betraying the very laws she’s sworn to uphold? It is a disgrace that undermines trust in the justice system and cripples law enforcement.

The contrast is stark: Trump delivers results, while Democrats play games with American lives.
Sanctuary cities fuel chaos, shielding dangerous criminal illegal aliens and crippling law enforcement. By refusing to work with immigration agents to hand over immigrants who have been arrested, these jurisdictions simply force them to go looking for them in neighborhoods — endangering both citizens and non-criminal illegal migrants, as well as wasting resources. Meanwhile, violent illegal alien offenders exploit these policies to escape justice.

Worse, sanctuary policies push the lie that illegal entry is harmless. It isn't. Under Title 8 of the U.S. Code, illegal entry is a crime, and re-entry after deportation carries even more severe penalties. Ignoring these laws doesn’t just erode the rule of law — it sends a reckless message: Break the law, face no consequences.

Sanctuary cities don’t protect — they endanger. Americans deserve better.

Illegal immigration isn’t just a border crisis. It is an all-out assault on America’s sovereignty and safety. Under Biden, individuals from over 160 countries, including terror-sponsoring nations, stormed the border. Many destroyed their identification papers in order to avoid being vetted. Hostile regimes such as Venezuela and Cuba refuse to share intelligence, leaving America vulnerable. The result? Criminals and potential terrorists have been slipping through, endangering American lives.

And to call them “undocumented” instead of “illegal” isn’t compassion — it’s a blatant lie. Democrats are intentionally whitewashing lawbreaking to push mass amnesty, all to secure a permanent voter base. This isn’t policy — it’s a reckless power grab that jeopardizes national security for the sake of political control.

The price? Potentially catastrophic. 

Democrats’ relentless obstruction of Trump’s immigration policies is nothing short of a betrayal of America. By championing open borders and sanctuary cities, they have turned their backs on safety, security, and the rule of law. While Americans overwhelmingly demand stronger enforcement, Democrats bow to radical ideologies, leaving our nation exposed and vulnerable. Their reckless, self-serving agenda is an insult to every American. But in 2026, voters will again deliver a clear verdict: no more lies, no more chaos, no more betrayal.

Ford O’Connell is an attorney, a veteran Republican operative and political analyst, and adjunct professor at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.