OPINION:
On the heels of dystopian images of riots, fires and foreign flags flying in Los Angeles, the summer campaign to lower public support for President Trump’s immigration policies has begun. So far, that campaign has been an abject failure, as polling shows Americans largely support the administration’s deportation efforts.
Beyond acknowledging support in the polls, it is time to state a fact rarely heard along the Acela corridor and in other elite circles: Mr. Trump has taken the slings and arrows for his bold stance on immigration, and now, in his fifth year as president, has stuck to his guns.
He has shown results that critics once deemed impossible, and a majority of Americans approve.
So far this year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has deported 207,000 illegal aliens. This robust enforcement and innovative self-deportation initiatives demonstrate that Mr. Trump’s policies are effective.
The necessity of these measures stems directly from the Biden administration’s catastrophic mismanagement of border security, which left the nation grappling with unprecedented illegal migration. It is time for Americans to see through the propaganda and give Mr. Trump credit for his vision, hard work and dedication to prioritizing American citizens.
The administration’s goal is clear: to ensure that immigration laws are upheld and that those who violate them face consequences. Unlike the Biden era, where catch-and-release policies became the norm, Mr. Trump’s ICE has streamlined protocols, reduced bureaucratic delays and expedited removals. This efficiency starkly contrasts with the chaos that preceded it, proving that the leviathan of federal bureaucracy can be tamed with enough political will.
Complementing these deportations is the administration’s self-deportation campaign, a multimillion-dollar effort to encourage illegal aliens to leave voluntarily. Programs offering financial incentives, such as $1,000 for those who opt for government-chartered departure flights, are more cost-effective than forced deportation. The Department of Homeland Security has yet to release data, but the New York Post has reported that nearly 1 million aliens have self-deported so far.
Regardless, the campaign’s psychological impact is undeniable: By signaling relentless enforcement, it creates incentives for illegal aliens to comply voluntarily, reducing the strain on ICE resources. This blend of enforcement and persuasion demonstrates Mr. Trump’s pragmatic approach to a complex issue.
Despite these achievements, corporate media often paint Mr. Trump’s policies as draconian, amplifying the voices of anti-borders activists who decry deportations as inhumane. This narrative couldn’t be further from the truth, as public opinion overwhelmingly supports the administration’s actions.
Polling, combined with the November election results, reflects a clear mandate: Americans want secure borders and enforced laws, not the surrendered-borders experiment that defined the previous administration. The media’s negative portrayals are increasingly out of touch with the electorate’s priorities, while news industry sacred cows are befuddled about the cause of their plummeting credibility.
The scale of Mr. Trump’s deportation efforts was made necessary by the Biden administration’s abject failure to secure the border. From 2021 to 2025, millions of illegal crossings overwhelmed border facilities. Customs and Border Protection reported more than 2.5 million encounters at the southwest border annually.
Policies such as the termination of Remain in Mexico and the gutting of Title 42 expulsions emboldened cartels. They fueled asylum fraud, creating a crisis that strained communities, schools and health care systems. Activist groups have claimed that President Biden’s deportation numbers last year were on par with those of Mr. Trump’s first term, but the context differed. Mr. Biden’s removals were reactive and inconsistent, lacking the strategic vision to deter crossings, and were likely a cynical election year gimmick. Mr. Trump inherited a border in disarray, necessitating the bold measures now underway.
Critics, often funded by extremist anti-borders groups, label Mr. Trump’s policies xenophobic and ignore the economic and security imperatives driving them. Illegal immigration costs taxpayers billions of dollars annually, $150 billion in net costs, while undermining wages for low-skilled American workers.
Americans should reject the scare tactics from anti-borders extremists and recognize Mr. Trump’s deportation plans for what they are: a necessary and effective response to a crisis decades in the making. Mr. Trump is delivering on his promise, under relentless attacks, to restore sanity to our immigration system. His vision and resolve contrast sharply with the Biden administration’s failures, which left the nation vulnerable. Give the man his due.
• Dale L. Wilcox is executive director and general counsel for the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration.