Maribel Hastings
Posted March 5, 2026
In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump, aware of Americans’ rejection of his immigration agenda, avoided discussing arrests and deportations that even affect children, and made no reference to the two Americans shot by ICE, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. He avoided the issue entirely.
Despite his rock-bottom approval ratings on immigration, Trump resorted to rhetoric and exaggeration, blaming immigrants and Democrats for the country’s ills.
He even said, “We will always allow people to come in legally, people who will love our country and will work hard to maintain our country.” A cynical statement from a president who has drastically limited who can enter or remain here legally as refugees or asylum seekers, and has canceled programs such as TPS, delegalizing millions.
He also mixed the topics of fentanyl and crime with immigration in the context of reducing undocumented crossings at the southern border. Most fentanyl enters the United States through regular ports of entry and in vehicles driven by U.S. citizens.
He also insisted that proof of citizenship be required “to stop illegal aliens and others who are unpermitted persons from voting in our sacred American elections,” fueling his false narrative that voter fraud is rampant and that non-citizens vote.
He alluded to white supremacist conspiracy theories by saying, “We can never forget that many in this room not only allowed the border invasion to happen before I got involved, but indeed, they would do it all over again if they ever had the chance.”
Listening to Trump and witnessing the terrible effects his immigration policy has had on families and individuals, on the economy, our security, and our civil rights, one wonders how we got to this point.
How is it possible that November 6, 2026, will mark the 40th anniversary of Republican President Ronald Reagan’s enactment of the 1986 amnesty, the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). And that, over 40 years under various presidents and Congresses, the two political parties have been unable to reform a system that is clearly broken.
In this back-and-forth, a divisive and anti-immigrant figure like Trump rises to power and, with the backing of a narrow Republican majority in Congress and surrounded by advisors even more extremist than he is, such as Stephen Miller, begins a literal hunt for people that goes beyond undocumented immigrants. This includes people of color, even if they are legal residents and citizens, and those who oppose his excesses or disapprove of his extremism. These people may even end up dead, like U.S. citizens Good and Pretti.
Yet national polls indicate Americans are increasingly rejecting the violence and chaos generated by Trump’s immigration strategy, showing growing resistance to his attempt to normalize such tactics.
Trump’s message that he would focus on removing criminals, the “worst of the worst,” resonated with sectors of the electorate who supported him at the polls.
What happened next is alarming: indiscriminate arrests by masked agents, without any visible identification, acting violently, throwing tear gas at people exercising their right to protest, smashing car windows to drag people out of their vehicles, assaulting pregnant women, the elderly, the disabled, war veterans, religious figures, using children as bait or detaining them and sending them to detention centers, or dumping entire families at the border as if they were objects.
The agents provide false justification for their actions, despite video evidence. Their superiors, including Trump, do the same, and accountability remains lacking.
After extensive enforcement actions, the press reports that, from January 21, 2025, to January 31, 2026, immigration authorities detained approximately 400,000 immigrants. Of these, 86%—about 344,000 individuals—did not have a violent criminal history, according to publicly cited data.
A recent NBC News Decision Desk Poll found 49% of adults strongly disapprove of Trump’s handling of border security and immigration, up from 38% last summer.
Notably, the NBC News Decision Desk Poll found that 67% of respondents support providing a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants.
Public exposure to the harsh realities of detentions and deportations is generating demand for humane immigration solutions, challenging Trump’s narrative and undermining his strategy of distraction and fear.
Maribel Hastings is a Senior Advisor to América’s Voice.
