With immigration, many things are possible
Published 5:00 am Sunday, January 18, 2026
Americans seem to have lost their sense of possibility.
This seems true in many domains, but more so than ever in politics. We’ve especially lost our capacity to see that many things can all be true at the same time, and some of those truths can complicate our efforts to promote an overly simplified narrative of good guys and bad guys.
For example, look no further than our current immigration debate, and especially the tragic Minneapolis shooting of anti-ICE activist Renee Good.
It’s possible that Good was engaged in a time-honored form of civil disobedience – blocking a city street. It’s also possible that she ignored another time-honored rule of civil disobedience dating back to the American Civil Rights movement and beyond – that you accept the legal consequences of your civil disobedience. It’s highly possible that, in those situations, if you ignore police instructions and resist the consequences of your choices, tragic violence might ensue.
It’s possible that the ICE agent involved genuinely feared for his life in that emotionally charged moment and fired his weapon in legitimate self-protection. It’s also possible that he misjudged the danger and used an unreasonable amount of force for which he should face consequences. And it’s highly possible there are aspects of this situation of which the general public is utterly ignorant and should probably withhold judgment.
More broadly speaking, it’s possible that the ICE crackdown and deportations are a necessary corrective to the open borders policy of the previous administration. It’s more than possible that not enforcing immigration laws harms America’s already-vulnerable working class and erodes the rule of law.
It’s also possible – though liberals are loathe to admit it – that not all cultures share the same mores and respect for the rule of law that is foundational to American democracy, and that unlimited immigration might erode social cohesion and harm the political and economic integrity of local communities.
But it’s also possible that ICE agents have exceeded their authority in various situations, have made numerous errors in judgment, and have operated without a sufficient level of accountability and transparency. It’s also highly possible that America cannot simply deport its way out of a broken immigration system, and that at some point, the raids must end, and we must find a way to live with many illegal immigrants within our borders, provided that they remain law-abiding members of society.
Even more broadly, it’s possible that President Trump is one of the most vindictive, petty, and morally compromised men to ever occupy his office. It’s possible that he has little to no respect for the limits or the dignity of the office he holds.
But it’s also possible that voters can see his many flaws and accept his administration as superior to the previous one, or the one that Democrats would replace him with. And it’s possible those same voters are growing increasingly weary of an immigration crackdown that doesn’t address the core economic issues many Americans are struggling with and which they elected President Trump to address.
Let’s consider all the possibilities. For a change.
— Gary Houchens, PhD, is professor and director of the educational leadership doctoral program at Western Kentucky University