Donald Trump's Showline Immigration

It is on.

Without nativist isolationism, right-wing movements are hollow. Like a hotel without seats, people may come and go, but none will stay. Migrant hate is their foundation—their lifeblood. These movements rise and fall on it.

• Mexican rapists— Trump’s comment in 2016— was not an accident.

• Haitians are eating pets — Trump’s comment in 2024— was deliberate.

You need the above to execute the below.

The U.S. right-wing campaign slogans outshine their European counterparts. "Build the Wall" is not just a policy; it’s a reminder that there is no wall, and only Trump can deliver it. The message makes the case for him effortlessly.

A smart opposition would grasp this strength and strike fast to neutralize it. Every country values secure borders—it's often a national security priority. Democrats should have acted decisively to protect those already in the U.S., addressing the constitutional ambiguity that led migrants to believe entry was permissible, while also taking steps to prevent further illegal entries. A two-pronged strategy. The GOP would never agree, and that resistance could have been exploited.

Biden should have tackled this in his first six months, not the last.

Why?

Because border insecurity fuels GOP hate campaigns. You can’t win by dodging the issue. Stay on offense and never retreat. For all his lies, corruption, and chaos, Trump understands the power of nativism, isolationism, and donor-driven politics in sustaining his anti-democratic movement.

The Republican Party’s actions, even before taking office, signal they’re already focused on the 2026 midterms. Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, made it clear: immigration would be the administration's top priority, outranking tariffs and tax breaks.

He’s right. In terms of media magnitude, immigration easily takes the top spot. Cruelty as policy guarantees chaos, ensuring breathless, wall-to-wall coverage.

But there’s a catch. Trump is also running a loyalty program. How do you reconcile big donors’ reliance on migrant labor with the spectacle of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids? Simple: direct enforcement toward blue states and cities.

Democratic mayors inevitably push back. Take Trump’s ICE pick, Tom Homan, who said, “Chicago is in trouble because your mayor sucks and your governor sucks,” to roaring applause at a Republican event. Media headlines followed. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker responded, “You come for my people, you come through me.”

That’s a terrible response. It plays right into Trump’s hands. The GOP narrative becomes: Democrats are shielding lawbreakers, proof they’re trying to replace American voters with third-world nationals.

This is a slippery slope, and Democrats are stumbling down it. They have an opportunity to counter but must first grasp the role nativism plays in right-wing movements. Many Latino voters, for instance, are open to deportations—not because of economic concerns, but because the GOP frames it as enforcing the law.

The more Democrats play defense, the deeper the hole gets. They need to seize the initiative and go on the offensive.

Here is how they can do it.

The GOP won’t target Republican states or industries that support them. Expose their duplicity. Track every data point and take it to the public. Call them showboaters—it fits, and it will stick. Tom Homan works for the U.S. government. Why is he acting like a partisan politician? When was the last time Democrats held him accountable? Highlight this. ICE enforces federal laws, not Republican agendas.

Talk less, work more. Democrats should say: if Tom Homan and his team follow the law, they’re welcome anywhere. But if they break it for racist appeasement, we’ll hold them accountable.

Work the media. Skip the legacy outlets and focus on grassroots efforts to deliver the message directly to the people. Stay on offense. Show the country the right way: how to deport wrongful entries, reduce crime, secure borders. Explain how you’ll do it versus how the GOP is botching it. Don’t let up.

If Team Trump deports American citizens, step in, intervene, and bring them back. If migrants are sent to no man’s land, expose the cruelty and partner with global NGOs to help them find safety. Even in opposition, under oppressive conditions, you can show the world how to do this right. If you help just one person treated unjustly, it will make a world of difference for them—and inspire others to act.

Normally, I’d dismiss Democrats as a do-nothing opposition that only stirs during election season. But this time, I’m cautious. They are listening. They’re not fully transformed, but they’ve pushed back on GOP narratives like election mandate, pardoned the President’s son, and are considering pre-emptive pardons for whistleblowers opposing anti-democratic movements. They’ve worked late hours to fill judicial vacancies.

I’m not hopeful they’ll change entirely, but I believe we can push them in the right direction.

And we will.