The battle over President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement has rapidly become the hottest topic in Democratic primary ads nationwide.
While Democrats are rushing to the left to show their voters they will do everything to oppose the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Republicans are overwhelmingly silent.
Here’s a breakdown of the most notable spots featuring ICE messaging from 2026, thanks to our friends at AdImpact.
Illinois Senate. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, backed by the Illinois Future PAC, claims she’s “the only major candidate in the race for Illinois Senate calling to abolish ICE.” Meanwhile, the race’s frontrunner, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), put out an ad where he pledged to “abolish Trump’s ICE” and called the agency’s actions “morally wrong.”
New Jersey 11th District. Immigration enforcement dominated advertising in the special Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 11th District. United Democracy Project, AIPAC’s super PAC, spent millions of dollars on ads against Tom Malinowski, linking the former House Democrat to ICE funding.
“In 2019, Tom Malinowski voted with Trump and the Republicans to fund ICE,” one spot argued.
Malinowski, the early frontrunner, is currently narrowly trailing progressive Analilia Mejia. The race still hasn’t been called.
An ad from a pro-Tahesha Way group touted that the former lieutenant governor is running “to end Trump’s violent ICE raids in schools,” while Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill’s ads decried that kids are being told in schools that ICE is coming to deport them.
House primaries. In Illinois’ 9th District open primary, state Sen. Laura Fine (D) hails her work “championing the law to unmask ICE and hold them accountable.” Former Rep. David Trone’s (D-Md.) comeback bid features an ad condemning the way ICE is “snatching” families.
Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.), facing a left-wing primary challenge, is touting how “she always stood up to ICE and Trump” and is now “demanding accountability, body cameras, no masks, and prosecute abuse.”
Maine Senate. Gov. Janet Mills’ first primary ad buy focused entirely on her work blasting ICE, and labeling its actions “outrageous and unconstitutional.” Mills is locked in a bitter primary with progressive outsider Graham Platner, who has tried to run to her left on the ICE issue.
The Republican messaging. Republicans, for the most part, are avoiding any reference to ICE in their ads. The GOP contenders are happy to talk about border security at large, but AdImpact only found three congressional ads this year where Republicans mention ICE.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), battling two GOP primary opponents, ran a tough-on-immigration ad highlighting the fact that he backed a bill to “hire 10,000 new ICE officers.”
Brian Stover, running to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), says he’s running for Congress to “defend ICE agents and keep us safe.” Another GOP House contender, Brett Jensen in Texas, said in an ad that he stands with “ICE to deport the illegals.”
