The convergence of public opinion and interest group lobbying and the disruption of the Trump administration in United States immigration policy

Abstract

This article explores the power and influence of interest groups and public opinion in configuring the immigration policy direction in the United States and discusses how the pro-immigrant consensus between the two entities was disrupted by the Trump administration. As interest groups have been traditionally a pro-immigrant party due to the economic benefits immigration brings to certain sectors of business, notably the agricultural and high technology industries, it has remained at odds with the moderately anti-immigrant U.S. public for many years. Recently, however, these two previously divergent entities have been converging into a pro-immigrant (in aggregate) position as the public grew more favorable of immigration in recent years. In this light, we trace this convergence of public opinion and interest group lobbying and then examine how the Trump administration has disrupted this seemingly harmonious trend in order to push through a series of anti-immigration policies that in essence represent the minority view in the United States. We further show how the growing polarization between the antiand pro-immigrant public created an opening for Trump to exploit: capturing just enough support to win the election regardless of general public sentiment and interest group lobbying.