Now that February is here, I think it’s safe to state the obvious and say that the issue of immigration isn’t going anywhere.
I dare say that it’s going to be the defining issue of 2026 and, frankly, why wouldn’t Democrats want it to be. After all, they’re winning the battle of optics.
As such, what we’ve been seeing so far isn’t so much a battle over law, order and illegal immigration as it’s a public PR battle between the Republican Party and an electorate that is losing its stomach for the enforcement policies they asked for.
Now you might say, Arthur, all politics is a massive PR battle to win the hearts and minds of voters, and you would be right. But the topic of immigration is one of those rare few where even if you happen to agree politically with what the Trump Administration is doing on the ground with ICE and Border Patrol, you might not like the optics.
There’s a quiet misconception in politics that the American people know exactly what they want and will be happy to get it if they do.
As we’re finding out, that couldn’t be further from the truth. On the merits, when you poll Americans in this country, you’ll find no shortage of independents, centrists, Republicans and even the occasional moderate Democrat, that will tell you that enforcing immigration law is important.
However, in the event that they actually install an administration that is serious about doing so, many recoil and back away once the images of what that actually looks like takes shape and begins appearing on their televisions.
And just to prove that this is true, and not attached to any particular president, this was even true during the Obama years. Liberal outlets unceremoniously dubbed President Obama as the “Deporter in chief,” despite his ironclad popularity with Democrats.
The fact is, not even the right wing fiscal conservatives and Libertarians want to see their political priorities realized if it happens to lead to bad optics or upsetting headlines.
For that example, you need look no further than early 2025, where there was a serious effort via DOGE to cut some of the arms off of the beast that is government, and even some of the loudest right
wing voices came out against it on Twitter. This is to say nothing of Republicans in office that were loud fiscal hawks while out of power but quiet supporters of killing DOGE behind closed doors.
So, when I say that people don’t really say what they want and mean it, it applies broadly across the body politic.
And when I say that this entire immigration fiasco, which has taken place almost entirely in Minnesota, is a PR battle between the current administration and the public, you can take it to the bank.
Or better yet, you could’ve just turned on the Grammys over the weekend and seen the sheer amount of clapping seals applauding all of the celebrities coming out to bravely take a stand against ICE and the Trump Administration.
This was no small feat since singers, songwriters and Hollywood actors, publically challenging the fascist tyranny we all live under takes real courage and the risk of losing their livelihoods.
I was especially impressed when Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny came down hard against ICE and stood with the oppressed on an American stage, despite the threat of the Gestapo looming outside on every corner.
And when you consider that many of our celebrities proudly proclaimed their immigrant lineage, it took a special amount of bravery as their freedom papers could be checked at any moment.
Was all the Grammy nonsense and virtue signaling foolish and a waste of time? Absolutely.
Was it an important element in waging the democratic PR battle against the Trump Administration? Absolutely.
Which is why at this point, it’s almost certain that immigration and the controversies surrounding ICE are going to be the winning issue for the midterms for Democrats and there’s really no getting around it.