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Thought Pieces / Feb 20, 2025

4 Insights for Navigating the Political Discourse on Immigration

Immigrants are under attack in the United States. In recent weeks we’ve seen executive orders and congressional legislation targeting immigrants in unprecedented ways, and many of us are experiencing heightened fear and concern for our families, loved ones, and communities.

Organizations and communities across the country are working tirelessly to combat anti-immigrant policies and preparing for the long fight ahead. Countering dehumanizing, anti-immigrant rhetoric head-on is one crucial part of the battle.

What does anti-immigrant rhetoric look like?

Anti-immigrant messages tend to cue the idea of immigration as an existential ‘threat’. By describing immigration as a ‘flood’ or a ‘mob at the gate’, communicators imply that there is something dangerous and ‘other’ about immigrants. This othering is deeply rooted in racist and xenophobic ideas about what it means to be American and who is omitted from that definition—usually immigrants of color. Dehumanizing, fear-mongering rhetoric is not new or unique to discourse in the United States, and it has real-world consequences, such as the restrictive and life-threatening immigration practices we’re seeing implemented today.

Why does it resonate?

This kind of rhetoric often lands because it speaks to ways of thinking that already exist within U.S culture. As part of our research on cultural mindsets in the U.S., we’ve identified two predominant patterns in thinking about immigration. The Immigrants as Them mindset cues a kind of othering that tends to lead to punitive understandings of what immigration policy should be. The Immigrants as Us mindset cues a collectivized understanding of immigration (e.g., the country is made better and stronger by immigrants) and makes it easier to call for systemic change. Although the Immigrants as Them mindset seems to be increasingly foregrounded in our cultural consciousness, research shows that our communications can play a powerful role in bringing the Immigrants as Us mindset to the forefront of people’s minds.

How can framing help?

This is possible because these two mindsets are not mutually exclusive—people can hold them at the same time. In fact, throughout our research, some participants relied on both mindsets in the course of one sentence. Because these mindsets have gaps, framing has the potential to strengthen either one, and we’ve identified specific strategies for activating the Immigrants as Us way of thinking and building support for structural change. The coming months and years will likely be fraught with conversations about the state of U.S. immigration policy, and it’s more important than ever that advocates are using every tool at their disposal to combat anti-immigrant tactics and foster a more inclusive vision of American identity. 

Here are a few insights to help navigate the current discourse on immigration: 

  1. Lead with moral arguments in contentious communication contexts. When we lead with arguments rooted in a sense of moral obligation, we activate the Immigrants as Us mindset first. One place to start is presenting an idea of shared humanity, explaining the failure of the current system to recognize it, and demonstrating the ways that fighting back against exclusionary policies can help fulfill our moral obligations. Appeals to shared humanity are effective at garnering support for policies designed to assist undocumented immigrants, improve access to immigration pathways, and increase knowledge about immigrants’ contributions to American society.
  2. Focus on shared humanity more than rights-based language. Although our research has shown that moral arguments are helpful, we need to avoid those that fall back exclusively on rights-based arguments. While people often rely on rights-based language to express how rights have been violated under the current system (e.g., “immigrants have the right to due process” or “everyone has the right to an education”), making this the crux of our discourse can lead people to invoke the Immigrants as Them mindset. When that happens, people start to think that, because people without documentation “broke the law,” they don’t deserve legal protections and/or rights. This can quickly devolve into debates about whose rights are more important. Focusing instead on human dignity is helpful for avoiding such divisiveness and promoting social and political inclusion.
  3. Explain specific solutions. Because most people don’t know how the immigration system works, explaining specific solutions that address specific problems can both increase understanding of the system and help counter overly-partisan and unproductive or fatalistic messages. For example, explaining the potential of expanding pathways for immigration and streamlining the visa approval process demonstrates real changes that can help create a more just system. This approach not only improves understanding of existing systems, but it also helps clarify the kind of change that is necessary to build a better world. 
  4. Emphasize the collective benefits of immigration. While talking about immigration, it’s essential that we don’t lose sight of our interconnectedness. Emphasizing the collective benefits of immigration (e.g., “We all thrive when immigrants thrive,” “Immigration supports creates prosperity for local businesses,” etc.) is more effective than highlighting the contributions of individual immigrants. Although success stories can be appealing because of the emotional response they can elicit, over-focusing on individual stories can reinforce individualism and implicitly suggest that only some immigrants are “worthy” of joining our political community. By instead appealing to a common end and shared prosperity, we clarify the ways that immigration impacts all of us.

While even the best framing can’t undo the devastating harm that the vilification of immigrants has caused, it can help pave the way for a more just future. The way we collectively think and talk ultimately shapes whether we are a society of exclusion or inclusion, and we are committed to supporting the work of our partners to build a more inclusive community for everyone. 

Fighting for Immigrant Families Through Framing | The FrameWorks Institute, American Academy of Pediatrics

Issues: Immigration

Countries: United States

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