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The Trump administration's immigration crackdown is well under way. In a single day in January, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made nearly 1,200 arrests, only about half of which were considered "criminal." According to a recent AP poll, the vast majority of Americans support deporting immigrants living in the United States illegally if they have committed a violent crime. However, across party lines, harsher deportation tactics such as raiding schools and churches or separating families—tactics that the Trump administration has discussed resorting to—are broadly unpopular.
While border security and public safety are crucial priorities, detaining every noncitizen is an unnecessarily harsh approach that doesn't reflect voters' interests. Instead, we must seek immigration reform solutions that uphold human dignity, family unity, and American values.
That starts with fact-based, solution-oriented conversations. First: the United States already deports noncitizen individuals who commit crimes. It has done so under all modern administrations—Democratic or Republican. No one I know disagrees that violent criminals should be deported if they are not in the country legally to begin with.
However, the vast majority of the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. without authorization do not have criminal convictions. According to the National Institute of Justice, undocumented immigrants have a lower offending rate than U.S.-born citizens: They are "arrested at less than half the rate of native-born U.S. citizens for violent and drug crimes and a quarter the rate of native-born citizens for property crimes."
These data points are significant, especially when considered in conjunction with our December 2024 National Immigration Forum polling. We found that 67 percent of voters said immigration enforcement should prioritize violent criminals and those with final orders of removal rather than "all individuals without legal status." In the same survey, 75 percent of Republicans agreed that, "In accordance with American values, family unity, respect for human dignity, and protection for the persecuted must remain key priorities as the government increases border security and immigration enforcement." Taken together, this information gives us a much more nuanced picture of the immigration reforms Americans truly want to see.
America must again let our strong values lead us. There are 5.5 million U.S.-born citizen children who live in households with at least one undocumented individual—a parent, a grandparent, an aunt, uncle, or cousin. That number doesn't account for the countless others who have undocumented friends and neighbors and would be negatively affected by the implementation of these policies.
The need for immigration reforms in the United States is obvious. However, the mass removal of those who live here and contribute to our economy and communities isn't the answer.
Recent polling results offer a glimpse into what the American people have in mind. More than three quarters of Americans support Republicans and Democrats working together to pass immigration reforms that would improve border security, update our asylum system, and bring legal immigration into the 21st century so we can create more jobs and reduce labor shortages and inflation.
This support for solutions-focused candidates is strong among Republicans and Democrats alike. Most Americans know we need tangible solutions that strengthen our economy and country. They are not interested in fearmongering.
In short, the American people are telling their elected leaders not just the issues they care about, but the approach they want to take. It's time for Congress to sit down and listen.
The need for humane and balanced policies that combine security and compassion is urgent. Our own history shows that it's possible. Rather than raids and brute force, the Trump administration must work with Congress on immigration reforms that benefit all Americans. This requires engaging in productive conversations about the border and immigration while also reconsidering unworkable and costly policies like mass deportation.
Mass deportation violates core American values and the wishes of a majority of citizens. Making newcomers feel welcome and integrated in their new homes will enhance community safety and national security. Our leaders need to prioritize public safety, security, and economic strength. That means setting ambitious, bipartisan immigration reform as a priority—without forgetting human dignity.
Jennie Murray is president and CEO of the National Immigration Forum.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
