Legal immigrants are flipping the script on immigration policy, shocking progressive pundits. Once reliably soft on enforcement, these voters now demand tougher borders, according to new polling, as RealClearPolitics reports. The woke elite’s open-border fantasies just hit a brick wall.
Foreign-born citizens, including legal immigrants, have swung dramatically toward conservative immigration stances since 2020, with a 40-point shift in voter trust favoring Republicans by eight points in 2024 and 2025. No other group has moved so sharply rightward on this issue. This seismic change exposes the disconnect between progressive rhetoric and real-world sentiment.
In 2016, only 36% of immigrant citizens backed Donald Trump. By 2020, his support among them grew to 39%. Fast-forward to 2024, and Trump’s share soared to 47%, with some polls showing him nearly tying or even edging out opponents among these voters.
The shift isn’t just electoral -- it’s attitudinal. In 2020, immigrant citizens viewed undocumented immigrants favorably, with a net rating of +23 points. That goodwill has evaporated, dropping to a net unfavorable -6 points by 2024, signaling a rejection of unchecked migration.
“Immigrant citizens have become increasingly unfavorable in their views of those immigrants who are here illegally,” said CNN analyst Harry Enten. That’s a polite way of saying legal immigrants are fed up with lawbreaking at the border. The progressive dream of universal amnesty is crumbling under scrutiny.
Back in 2020, immigrant voters gave Democrats a 32-point lead on immigration trust. That advantage has not only vanished but reversed, with Republicans now holding an eight-point edge. This isn’t a minor tweak -- it’s a full-scale rebellion against soft-on-crime border policies.
Trump’s growing appeal among immigrant voters underscores their frustration with lax enforcement. Polls in 2024 showed him splitting the immigrant vote almost evenly, a far cry from the Democrats’ dominance just four years earlier. The left’s sanctimonious lectures on “compassion” clearly aren’t resonating.
Enten notes, “This is why Donald Trump feels so comfortable.” He’s right -- legal immigrants are aligning with Trump’s hardline stance, not the left’s borderless utopia. The data shows they’re distancing themselves from unauthorized migrants and the policies that enable them.
Protests against immigration crackdowns, including ICE raids, have erupted in cities like Los Angeles, where demonstrators rallied for what may be a fifth consecutive day. Similar scenes unfolded nationwide, with activists decrying tougher enforcement. But these protests seem out of touch with the shifting views of immigrant voters themselves.
The Los Angeles protests highlight the growing divide between progressive activists and the broader immigrant community. While marchers chant for open borders, legal immigrants are quietly backing policies that prioritize law and order. It’s a stinging rebuke to the woke narrative.
The 40-point shift among immigrant voters is unmatched by any other demographic. No group has moved so decisively toward conservative immigration policies in such a short time. This trend exposes the fragility of the left’s coalition when reality bites.
Trump’s 47% share of the immigrant vote in 2024 reflects a broader demand for accountability. Legal immigrants, who navigated the system lawfully, appear increasingly resentful of those who bypass it. The left’s refusal to acknowledge this resentment is political malpractice.
“They become increasingly favorable, not just towards Donald Trump, but towards the Republican point of view,” Enten observes. Translation: legal immigrants aren’t just voting for Trump -- they’re endorsing a worldview that values borders and consequences. Progressives are left clutching their talking points in disbelief.
The drop in favorable views toward undocumented immigrants, from +23 to -6 points, shows a clear hardening of attitudes. Legal immigrants are drawing a line, and it’s not the one the left expected. The era of unchecked migration may be nearing its end.
As protests rage and polls shift, one thing is clear: legal immigrants are rewriting the immigration debate. Their swing toward conservative policies signals a rejection of the progressive agenda. The woke crowd may scream louder, but the voters are speaking clearly.
