The tide is turning - How America is becoming an immigration country again under Trump, and how his support is beginning to crack

It is a development that has surprised many - and one that perhaps even Donald Trump himself did not see coming. Just a few months after his return to the White House, as his administration seeks deportations on a historic scale, public opinion is shifting in a completely different direction: more and more Americans are once again viewing migration as something positive. And that, despite - or precisely because - Trump’s policies are aimed at the opposite. According to current surveys, such as Gallup, 79 percent of U.S. citizens now say that immigration is a “good thing” for the country - the highest value since the survey began almost 25 years ago. A year ago, this figure was 64 percent. The proportion of those who consider immigration “bad” has, in contrast, dropped significantly - from 32 percent to just 20 percent. And the most astonishing part: even among Republicans, the perception has fundamentally changed. Two-thirds of Republicans now agree that immigration is good for the country - a drastic increase from 39 percent the previous year. Among independent voters, approval has also risen to 80 percent. Democrats, whose attitude toward migration has been consistently positive for years, were already at high levels. This means that the very ideological foundation on which Trump hoped to build his harshest agenda - mass deportations, revocation of civil rights, and the end of birthright citizenship - is beginning to crumble.

And yet, while a “deportation machinery” is ramping up in Washington – ICE teams, new detention centers like the infamous “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades, legislative initiatives to restrict access to social benefits – public sentiment is gradually but noticeably shifting. The number of people demanding a reduction in immigration has fallen sharply: from 55 percent last year to just 30 percent now. Instead, three out of ten Americans now want immigration levels to remain the same. One-quarter even want to see an increase. And yet, it was precisely the anti-immigration rhetoric that brought Trump back into office during the 2024 campaign. At the time, 88 percent of Republicans called for a decrease in immigration – today, that number has dropped to just under 48 percent. Almost as many now say: keep it as it is. The apocalyptic tone of MAGA rhetoric seems to be falling on deaf ears – or even having the opposite effect – among parts of Trump's own base. Sow too much fear, and eventually, you harvest indifference. At the same time, support is growing for long-term solutions – particularly for people without documents who have lived in the U.S. for years. Around 90 percent of respondents support a pathway to citizenship for so-called Dreamers – people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Almost as many are in favor of granting citizenship to all undocumented immigrants if certain conditions are met. And even among Republicans, support is growing: 60 percent now support a “pathway to citizenship,” up from 46 percent last year. A sign that, despite the martial images – like Trump’s visit to Ochopee, Florida, where he personally inaugurated the new detention camp on July 1 – the need for justice and humanity has by no means vanished from people’s minds.

And yet, while a “deportation machinery” is being set in motion in Washington - ICE teams, new prisons such as the notorious “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades, legislative initiatives to limit social benefits - the social mood is gradually but noticeably shifting. The number of people calling for a reduction in immigration has dropped significantly: from 55 percent last year to just 30 percent now. Instead, three in ten Americans want current immigration levels to remain the same. A quarter of them would even like to see an increase. And yet it was precisely the anti-migration rhetoric that brought Trump back into office during the 2024 election campaign. Back then, 88 percent of Republicans demanded a reduction in immigration - today, that figure has dropped to just under 48 percent. Almost as many now say: it should stay as it is. The apocalyptic tone of MAGA rhetoric seems to be falling on deaf ears among parts of Trump’s own base - or even having the opposite effect. Those who sow too much fear eventually harvest indifference. At the same time, support is growing for long-term solutions - for example, for people without papers who have lived in the U.S. for years. Around 90 percent of respondents support a pathway to citizenship for so-called Dreamers - people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Almost as many are in favor of offering citizenship to all migrants without legal status, provided certain conditions are met. And even among Republicans, support for this is growing: 60 percent now support a “pathway to citizenship,” up from just 46 percent last year. A sign that, despite the martial images - such as Trump’s visit to Ochopee, Florida, where he personally inaugurated the new detention camp on July 1 - the desire for justice and humanity has by no means vanished from people’s minds. That does not mean that Trump’s agenda no longer has support. Three out of ten Americans still speak out in favor of deportations - but even that figure is declining. The idea that hundreds of thousands of families, workers, and children could be deported without consideration is increasingly facing resistance. Even those who advocate for order and control seem to be developing a more refined sense of proportionality. It is a paradoxical development: the harder Trump cracks down, the softer people’s view becomes of those affected. Perhaps it is the images - of the mother arrested in front of her children in Pasadena, the rosaries of the nuns in San Antonio, the candlelight of silent vigils. Perhaps it is something deeper: the realization that the strength of a nation is not measured by walls and fences but by its compassion. Trump can sign orders, propose laws, build fences. But he cannot control what people feel - and what they begin to think in silence. Many respondents said their change of heart was primarily triggered by the hard-hitting investigations of journalists and by reports from human rights organizations - those reports that exposed the inner workings of the deportation machinery without rhetorical restraint. The legal resistance shown by numerous judges across the country against questionable measures by the Trump administration was also increasingly perceived and acknowledged. Surprisingly, many participants in the survey stated that social networks - despite their reach - had little influence on opinion formation. Platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or TikTok were mentioned as places of discussion, but rarely as sources of in-depth information. Many found them overloaded with propaganda, distraction, and a constant cycle of outrage - while well-founded contributions often got lost in the noise. The actual change in thinking, they said, began where words were not merely shared but weighed. The new surveys are therefore more than just a snapshot. They are an indication that America may not yet have forgotten what it once was: a land of hope. A land of immigration. And perhaps, someday again, a land of welcome.