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: National: * ⁠#AfghanEvac⁠ – working to ensure the U.S. keeps its promise to our Afghan allies * ⁠Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project⁠ – the country’s largest membership organization of asylum seekers, working together for change * ⁠Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)⁠ – organizing and advocating for racial, social and economic justice * ⁠Haitian Bridge Alliance⁠ – providing humanitarian, legal, and social services * ⁠International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)⁠ - strategic litigation and advocacy to uphold the rights of people seeking safety * ⁠Justice Action Center⁠ - immigrant justice through litigation and storytelling Local: * ⁠Al Otro Lado⁠ - legal and humanitarian support to refugees, deportees, and other migrants in the U.S. and Tijuana * ⁠Catholic Charities Rio Grande Valley⁠ - providing assistance to the poor and most vulnerable populations in the Rio Grande Valley community * ⁠Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center⁠ - free and low-cost legal services to immigrants and refugees in West Texas, New Mexico, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico * ⁠Support an immigration service provider near you⁠ ==Chapters== (0:00:00) Introduction (0:01:31) Who is Beatriz Lopez? (0:04:02) When did Democrats decide immigration was a losing issue? (0:06:26) Then Trump comes along… (0:09:50) Big warning signs in 2024 (0:12:46) $10.5 billion on election ads (0:18:46) “The majority of people aren’t anti-immigrant; they’re anti-chaos.” (0:20:11) Elon Musk and the anti-immigrant message machine (0:24:40) When John Fetterman pushed back with a positive message (0:26:57) What is the opposite of political courage? (0:31:03) Beatriz spills some tea  (0:33:56) Jonathan Blitzer’s book and the legacy of Rahm Emanuel (0:35:02) So there’s vibes, and then there’s data… (0:37:33) Nobody has delivered on citizenship (0:41:42) “I mean really, *really* do communications work…” (0:45:38) How has public opinion shifted since 2025? (0:49:40) “As an avid consumer of Instagram…” (0:53:51) The Met Gala is like The Hunger Games (0:56:06) What would you say to a persuadable voter in 30 seconds? (0:57:34) What gives you hope? (1:01:14) Conclusion