Begin in agreement, for example: What makes America special is our commitment to freedom and justice for all.
Use values, for example: Freedom, liberty, fundamental rights, fundamental fairness, basic rights, constitutional rights, personal privacy, equal opportunity, fairness, stopping discrimination, and government intrusion
Show how they benefit, for example: The millions of immigrants who have lived in our country for many years, who work hard and play by the rules—they make our economy stronger, which benefits all of us.
First, understand that immigration is probably the most partisan issue in America. Almost half of Republicans would deport all unauthorized immigrants—more than ten million people who overwhelmingly have jobs, pay taxes, obey laws, and have lived in the U.S. for decades. Almost no Democrats would deport them.
So polling “all Americans” sheds very little light on the persuadable universe. Our best clue is to see what “Independents” believe. Only one in five Independents would deport all unauthorized immigrants. Only 18 percent of Independents think diversity makes our country a worse place, while 52 percent think it makes our country better. And in early 2026, more than 70 percent of Independents said that the tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had gone too far. This was before some of ICE’s worst abuses.
Our base is justifiably livid over ICE and the militarization of cities under the guise of immigration enforcement. You must speak out or risk losing our base.
Say… ICE is out of control—and it’s endangering all of us. They have killed immigrants and American citizens alike, people of color and whites. They are violating the Constitution, federal and state laws, and the most basic rules of policing. None of us should live in fear of our own government. We must stop it.
In fact, in any immigration debate, you should probably turn it into a debate about ICE. Persuadable people are nearly as disapproving of ICE as our base is.
Say… In our country, law enforcement officers need to follow the rules. But ICE doesn’t. ICE is targeting people who have committed no crime at all; they’re arresting children, even toddlers; they’re arresting law-abiding U.S. citizens; and they’re using excessive force because they’re unqualified and untrained. ICE is a threat to all our freedoms. If we don’t stop them now, your family and your friends could be their next victims.
Focus on what Americans already see, that is, violence and rule-breaking by ICE. You don’t need to explain policy solutions here, but you are welcome to connect the militarization of our cities to Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, and the like.
When you’re talking about the broader issue of immigration, emphasize people who work hard and play by the rules:
Say… America is a nation of values, founded on the idea that every one of us has the right to freedom, justice, and fair treatment under our Constitution. The millions of immigrants who have lived in our country for years—who work hard and play by the rules—they strengthen our economy, benefiting all of us. That’s why [the solution you advocate]…
Right-wing advocates want to make this debate about crime, saying or implying that unauthorized immigrants are, by definition, criminals. Don’t help ingrain those ideas by repeating them, and don’t use the word illegal even to make the entirely truthful statement that “no human is illegal.”
Nothing you say is going to sway the MAGA or far-right base. In a one-on-one conversation, it is futile to keep arguing with an anti-immigrant stalwart. But, for persuadable voters, you can take another step and address the real problem: that our immigration system is obsolete.
Say… Our immigration system is a mess. It should be fair. It should embody justice. We need an immigration process that recognizes the value of people who have lived here for years, worked hard, and played by the rules. We need a system that keeps families together, creates a roadmap for those who aspire to become citizens, and strengthens our economy for decades to come.
Move the conversation away from individual immigrants who are portrayed as bad people, to the real problem: a bad immigration system. The word choices in these short examples require some explanation.
Don’t say… Illegal aliens, undocumented immigrants, migrants
Say… Unauthorized immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, new American immigrants, aspiring citizens
Don’t say aliens because that implies they are different from us, which is inaccurate, dehumanizing, and offensive. Don’t say illegal because it suggests that they are criminals deserving of punishment, which is false. Undocumented has been tested and, unfortunately, does not work. If you need to be more specific, you can say unauthorized immigrants. On the positive side, polling new American immigrants and people who aspire to citizenship moves the conversation in a productive direction.
If you are talking about asylum seekers from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala (known as the Northern Triangle, one of the most dangerous places on earth), Venezuela, Afghanistan, or Somalia, don’t call them “migrants.” They are “refugees.” Refugees have rights under both U.S. and international law. They are in no way “illegal”—rather, their asylum applications comply with the law.
No matter their legal status, Americans are not inclined to give anything to immigrants, but at the same time, persuadable Americans generally don’t want to deny rights or necessities. So, frame your arguments accordingly. For example, if you are arguing for “Dreamers,” children who have lived almost their whole lives in the U.S.:
Say… We should reward hard work and responsibility. When young, aspiring Americans graduate from a local high school after living here for years and staying out of trouble, we should not deny them access to opportunity.