Democrats’ focus on President Donald Trump’s immigration policies may be a risky gamble that could distract voters from the party’s economic messaging, which has dealt a blow to the president’s approval ratings in recent weeks, political analysts told Newsweek.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration is facing growing criticism from Democrats over its immigration policies, particularly after the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a migrant in Maryland who was deported to his native El Salvador without due process.
Democrats say Abrego Garcia’s abrupt removal from the U.S. violated his rights, but the administration has said the deportation was justified because of his alleged ties to the MS-13 gang.
Analysts have warned, however, that the Democratic Party’s focus on immigration could draw attention away from its messaging on Trump’s economic policies, particularly his sweeping tariffs, which Democrats and economists warn will lead to a spike in prices for American consumers while upending global trade.
What to Know
To date, Democrats’ strategy vis-a-vis the Trump administration’s economic platform has largely paid off.
The president’s approval rating on his handling of the economy has plummeted since his tariff announcement. But immigration has steadily remained one of Trump’s strongest issues—and one of Democrats’ weakest.
Still, Democrats have zeroed in on immigration in recent days, with a focus on Garcia’s case.
Garcia was arrested in 2019 and accused of being a member of MS-13, which he has denied. Two judges also found he was a member based on confidential information that was provided to the courts. But an immigration judge ultimately ruled in 2019 that Abrego Garcia could not be removed to El Salvador because he could be targeted by rival gangs in his native country.
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Despite the judge’s order, Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador after being arrested last month. Lawyers for the Trump administration later acknowledged that he was mistakenly removed, calling it an “administrative error.”
Garcia has no criminal record in the U.S., though his wife previously accused him of domestic violence and obtained a restraining order against him. She told Newsweek this week that they have since reconciled, adding that she will continue fighting for her husband to be repatriated.
Democrats should be careful with their messaging on immigration and make sure they remain engaged on the economy, Anne Danehy, a professor at Boston University’s College of Communications, told Newsweek.
“It cannot overshadow the economy,” Danehy said.
The Garcia case could also be particularly “tricky” for Democrats to navigate, she said.
“What happens is that the messaging is that he’s an MS-13 member, and that reinforces peoples’ belief that the immigrants who are coming in are criminals, even though it has not been proven,” she said.
It may also reinforce the idea that Democrats are soft on migrant crime, Danehy added.
While Garcia’s case may not be a “winning strategy” for Democrats, they do have a moral obligation to call out the administration, Danehy said.
“It’s more than politics,” she said. “It’s about standing up for human rights. Standing up for democracy. People aren’t even having the ability to have free speech. If they don’t talk about this, it’s a big problem for them too.”
The Trump administration has also drawn a rash of criticism over its targeting of foreign and international students, like Columbia University’s Mahmoud Khalil, who engaged in pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses.
Still, Danehy said the party’s main should still be on economic issues, where they have more credibility and can discuss the impacts of tariffs, not just on large appliances but on how it will affect everyday Americans buying everyday items like groceries and clothing, or how Trump’s policies may benefit the wealthy.
“I think morally and politically, Democrats need to speak up and be vocal—but continue the main messaging of the economy in everything they say. This is why I think the concept of trust should be used to tie the two together,” she said.
GOP strategist Matt Klink told Newsweek Democrats’ focus on the Garcia case is “baffling.”
“By substantial numbers, including Democrat voters, Americans support Donald Trump’s efforts on illegal immigration, particularly with the deportation of criminal immigrants.” he said. “Immigration enforcement is one area of Trump’s policy that is viewed as a significant success.”
Democrats have “little upside” on immigration, he said, adding that the party’s focus on the matter may part of an effort to bolster its standing ahead of the 2028 presidential race.
“Republicans from Trump on down relish the opportunity to get on their front foot and talk about this particular individual and illegal immigration efforts in general – anything that moves them away from trying to explain the near-term state of the U.S. economy or the Administration’s trade policies,” he said.
Costas Panagopoulos, professor of political science at Northeastern University, offered a different perspective.
Panagopoulos told Newsweek he believes Democrats should be talking about immigration and the Garcia case, which may put “a human face on the immigration issue in a way voters can connect with.”
Democrats should still be keeping the economy “front and center,” he said, but it’s not unwise for them to balance that out with immigration matters. It can also allow them to chip away at Trump’s longstanding polling advantage on immigration, he added.
“There is an immediacy to the immigration issue that is as important as the economy for voters,” Panagopoulos said, adding that Garcia’s case “extends into several domains,” like the Trump administration’s “refusal to comply with judicial demands” and whether the U.S. is headed toward a constitutional crisis.
Abrego Garcia has not yet been brought back to the country. On Thursday, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland revealed that after days of trying, he was finally able to visit Abrego Garcia in El Salvador. The lawmaker also revealed Friday that he had been moved from the notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador to another prison.
Do Voters Trust Trump More on Immigration and Economy? What Polls Say
Two recent polls shed light on why pivoting to immigration issues may be an uphill climb for Democrats.
A poll from The Economist and YouGov, conducted among 1,741 adults from April 5 to April 8, 2025, showed that immigration remained Trump’s strongest issue among Americans, with 50 percent of respondents saying they approve of how he has handled it.
Only 44 percent said they disapprove of his handling of immigration.
Trump’s economic approval rating, however, had not held up as well, especially since his tariff announcement.
Forty-one percent of respondents said they approve of his handling of “jobs and the economy,” while 51 percent said they disapproved.
When asked about his handling of inflation, only 36 percent said they approved, while 55 percent disapproved.
Meanwhile, a University of Massachusetts Amherst poll, which surveyed 1,000 respondents from April 4 to April 9, 2025, found that only 33 percent of Americans believe Trump has handled inflation well, while 50 percent believe he has handled immigration well.
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
What People Are Saying
Senator Van Hollen posted on X on Thursday: “I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return.”
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said in an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Thursday: “Look, I think he’s a citizen of El Salvador, he’s in El Salvador, he’s home. He’s an illegal alien with a final order of removal. He’s an MS-13 member, which is now classified as a terrorist, so we removed an illegal alien, MS-13 member, who has a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge, to his homeland.”
Journalist and analyst Chris Cillizza wrote on X: “The Dow Jones dropped almost 700 points on Wednesday. The Nasdaq dropped more than 500 points. The head of the Federal Reserve said inflation was likely to go up because of Donald Trump’s tariffs. Did you hear about that? Any of it? Probably not. Because the lead story on every homepage and on every hour of cable TV was Garcia.”
Journalist G. Elliott Morris wrote in a Substack post: “One way to focus messaging on both the economy and immigration, for example, might be to show how unchecked executive power is dangerous. After all the most unpopular parts of Trump’s agenda — tariffs and deportations for undocumented migrants who have been here a long time and committed no crimes — are a direct result of executive overreach.”
What Happens Next
The political and legal battle over Trump’s immigration policies will continue over the coming weeks and months.
