Democrats have moved noticeably away from the unpopular pro-immigration policies that characterized much of the Biden years. Views on the matter shifted rightward over the past eight years, and some Democrats are now leaning toward Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric, and support for deporting illegal immigrants.

The Laken Riley Act, which would require federal authorities to detain illegal immigrants arrested, charged, or convicted of theft-related and violent offenses until they are deported, is one such example. Laken Riley herself, a student murdered by an illegal immigrant, was a constant focus of the Trump campaign.

THE PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES WITH TRUMP’S MASS DEPORTATION PLAN

After failing to win almost any support from congressional Democrats last year, the Act cleared the Senate this month with 12 Democrats voting in favor. In the House, 48 Democrats voted in favor.

In one of the most stark examples, 13 Democratic senators signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), expressing a desire to work with Republicans on immigration reform, including freshman Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).

“There is a lot of common ground for us to start on. We see a need for strong, commonsense, and fair immigration enforcement accompanied by the necessary resources to effectively secure our borders,” the letter read.

“We stand ready to work with you,” they wrote.

The change isn’t limited to more centrist-inclined Democrats in Congress either. Gov. Maura Healey (D-MA), governor of one of the bluest states in the country, voiced support for one of the more controversial moves from Trump – ICE raids in her state.

“I wouldn’t describe them as raids. What it seems to be is what we expected and what I support, which is the apprehension of criminals in our communities,” Healey told reporters.

Not all Democrat leaders are so friendly to ICE agents coming into deep blue cities, including Denver, Colorado. The Denver Police Department has policies in place that prevent police officers from asking witnesses or victims of a crime about their immigration status, and Mayor Mike Johnston has said the city will not aid or support ICE agents when and if they come to Denver. 

However, the shift goes beyond immigration. The avowedly progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), signaled in December that he was looking to work together with Trump’s Elon Musk-run Department of Government Efficiency.

“American taxpayers want and deserve the best return on their investment. Let’s put politics aside and work with DOGE to reduce wasteful defense spending. And let’s invest instead in domestic manufacturing, good-paying jobs and a modern national security strategy,” Khanna wrote.

Some Democrats have even found common ground with Trump on disaster response. Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) voiced partial agreement with Trump’s controversial denunciation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“On the basic premise that emergencies are best handled at the local level, state level, because they know the community is the best that you know I can get behind 100%,” Bera said in a Friday appearance on NewsNation’s the Hill. 

“Obviously, we’ll need some federal help with big disasters — North Carolina. We need to help. How do you get those resources more quickly to the governor, to the counties and local governors, governments? I’m open to that conversation. We should figure this out, because we’re also seeing bigger disasters,” he added.