A Winning Message on Immigration, with Beatriz Lopez

In the 2024 presidential election, Republicans spent nearly $600 million on political advertisements pounding Biden (and then Harris) for botching the border. The Democrats’ uninspiring message in response was: “No we didn’t.” Ever wonder why Republicans dominate the national conversation on immigration, while Democratic politicians seem reluctant to talk about it?

Beatriz Lopez is a veteran political strategist and immigration advocate with a story to tell: Why Democrats long ago decided to treat immigration as a “losing issue,” how the MAGA message machine filled the void with anti-immigrant scapegoating, and how a vocally pro-immigrant message can be both popular and effective.

==Learn More==

Amanda, Claire, and Doug express their own personal opinions on The Melting Pod. This episode was produced by Michael Palmer (⁠palmer.media⁠). Read more about the topics in this episode:

* Voto Latino - shepherding the Latino community towards full realization of its political power

* Immigration Attitudes - Pew Research Center

* Collection of MPI Analysis Related to Biden Administration Actions on Immigration - Migration Policy Institute

* Elon Musk’s misleading election claims reach millions and alarm election officials - Washington Post (Sept. 2024)

* U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman releases immigration video for Thanksgiving - Philly Voice (Nov. 2015)

* Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis - Jonathan Blitzer, Penguin Press (2025)

==Give More==

Want to help build a more sane and humane immigration system? Support hardworking organizations like these: