Since his first presidential run, President Donald Trumpsimmigrationrhetoric was laser-focused on building walls and banishing "bad hombres." Love it or loathe it, the logic was clear: control the border and swiftly deport those "bringing crime" into the country.Six months into his second term, however, Trumps focus has drifted. AnewAmericanImmigrationCouncilreportshows that instead of taking aim at criminals and bad actors, the Trump administration is now targeting law-abiding immigrants, including many long-standing and valued members of our communities.This isnt whatAmericans expected, and its not what we want. Arecent Gallup pollfound that just 30% of us want lessimmigration, while a record-high 79% sayimmigrationis good for the country. Even those who worry about border crossings have no desire to see our neighbors detained or harassed.The data clearly shows that in recent months ICE has shifted to targeting noncriminal immigrants. After Trumps inauguration, more than three-quarters of ICE detainees had criminal records. Today, though,barely half of detaineeshave been in legal trouble; the rest are law-abiding folks scooped up by agents eager tonab bonusesfor meeting detention quotas.ICE DEPORTATION EFFORTS COULD BE DERAILED IF CONGRESS DOESN'T ACT SOONBut such harassment is the natural consequence of the Trump administrations insistence on demonizing law-abiding immigrants. Already, the Trump administration has stripped Temporary Protected Status (TPS)fromnearly 1 million people, and revoked hundreds of thousands of humanitarian visas. Overnight, all those people who came here with the governments permission have been ordered to pack their bags.Thats a cruel policy, and one that robs the construction and hospitality industries already struggling with labor shortages of a quarter of a million legal workers. Its doing untold damage to businesses: nationwide,one-quarter of construction workers and over half of specialty tradesmen like painters and roofers are foreign-born, powering an industry that contributes 4.5%of Americas GDP.The AIC report shows just how the administrations approach is playing out. In February 2025, ICE detained a Venezuelan asylum seeker named Yapa while he was heading to work. They took his ID and government-issued work permit and then detained him hundreds of milesfromhis home. HisAmericanpartner Kaelyn went into debt trying to secure legal assistance on his behalf. She said, "People would tell me, Oh youre overreacting. This isnt 1930s Germany. And Id say, Yeah, but its starting to feel that way."Beatriz, animmigrationattorney who previously represented children, has seen the government put kids in foster care or even detention after their caregivers have been detained. In some cases, the government has refused to tell the kids attorneys where their caregivers are being held. "It's something none of my superiors including people who worked during Trump's first term have ever experienced before," she says.TRUMP HAS A SECRET WEAPON TO DEFEAT ACTIVIST JUDGES ON IMMIGRATIONThen theres Axel, a Dreamer who was brought herefromGuatemala at age 7, won a scholarship to Duke, and became the first in his family to attend college. His successes were made possible by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allowed him to live, work and dream of a future in the United States.Now, Trumps scattershot policies have left Axel second-guessing that future. Hes been stopped repeatedly at "random" traffic stops and grilled about hisimmigrationstatus. Hes seen members of his community detained by ICE on their way to work or school. In fact, the Department of Homeland Securitywarned this summerthat Americas 530,000 DACA recipients "may be subject to arrest and deportation," leaving vast numbers of hard-working young people terrified and confused about their place in our communities.Even immigrants whove gained green cards or citizenship are being impacted. Arbitrary travel bans have left 4.3 million lawful U.S. residents including 2.4 million U.S. citizens with no way to bring loved ones to live with them, or even to host family members for short-term visits.As the child of immigrants myself, Im horrified to see America closing its doors to others. My parents camefromIndia in the 1960s so that my father could work as a rural surgeon. Because of that, thousands of his patients received quality healthcare, and I grew up proudlyAmerican, dedicating myself to a life in public service.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONNow, though, the Trump administration is even threatening to "denaturalize" and deport U.S. citizens. Thats a complex legal process thats unlikely to happen at scale. But its a clear attempt to intimidate immigrants whove played by the rules, built lives here and made the ultimate commitment to our great nation by becomingAmericancitizens.Such stories expose the reality of President Trumpsimmigrationpolicies. With three and a half years left of the Trump presidency, its time for our lawmakers, our local leaders and all of us to stand up. We need to make clear that while border security is a big deal, law-abiding immigrants remain welcome in communities across America.