US left using immigrants, Muslims as political pawns

The attack on two members of the National Guard in Washington last week has shaken the US to its core. The victims were a young woman who gave her life in service to her country and a man now fighting to survive. This violent assault exposed the deep and growing fractures pulling America apart from within. It brought two urgent realities into sharp focus and pushed the nation toward swift and, for some, controversial changes in immigration policy.
First, the attack is a stark reminder that radicalism has not vanished. For years, many political leaders and commentators claimed extremist ideology was in decline or even defeated. But recent events prove otherwise.
A day before the attack, the Department of Homeland Security revealed that investigators had arrested an Afghan national in Texas after he posted a video on TikTok showing materials for a bomb and threatening to blow up a building in Fort Worth.
And, in October, federal agents in Michigan detained several young people inspired by Daesh who were planning violence around Halloween. Their plans were stopped just in time after authorities noticed troubling signs online. These cases show how extremist ideas still find their way into communities.
While the vast majority of Muslims in America reject extremism and contribute as peaceful citizens, radicalism survives in the shadows. It grows where society refuses to address the root causes of problems: alienation, a lack of integration and foreign propaganda flowing unchecked on social media. Ignoring these problems does not make them disappear, it only allows them to grow stronger and more dangerous. Yet some political leaders, worried about being labeled anti-immigrant, avoid speaking honestly about radicalization.
The second reality exposed by the shooting is equally serious: the role of the far left and its mainstream media allies in deepening divisions within immigrant communities. These groups have aggressively promoted the false narrative that the current administration is “anti-immigrant,” repeating it across major television networks, digital platforms and activist organizations that claim to speak for all newcomers.
This message is designed to shape emotions, not reflect the truth. It convinces vulnerable communities that they are under attack, pushing them to fear law enforcement and distrust anyone outside their political camp. Their goal is not genuine protection — it is to weaponize these communities for political gain.
Many newcomers to the country, especially those still learning how American politics works, have been led to believe that Republicans and conservatives dislike them, threaten their rights or want to target them because of their faith. This storyline is untrue, yet it has gained traction. When a message is repeated again and again, it eventually sinks in, shaping perceptions even when it has no basis in reality.
What is the result? Dangerous distrust of police, hostility toward federal agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement or local law enforcement, and suspicion of all security personnel. Some immigrants now view law enforcement not as protectors but as enemies of their communities. The far left is not protecting them; it is brainwashing them, teaching them to fear the institutions meant to ensure their safety and public order.

Some political leaders, worried about being labeled anti-immigrant, avoid speaking honestly about radicalization.

Dalia Al-Aqidi

This kind of manipulation grows even more dangerous at a moment when America’s security forces are under mounting threat. Violence against police officers, border agents and National Guard members has risen sharply. Instead of encouraging unity and support for those who protect the country, a few political leaders are making the situation worse by stirring anger and division.

One of the most troubling recent developments came when US lawmakers and politicians publicly urged American troops to refuse orders they believed were “unlawful.” Although the law requires service members to reject illegal commands, the manner in which this message was delivered, via a political video, was irresponsible and dangerous. In the military, the chain of command is sacred. It is the foundation of discipline, readiness and national defense. When an elected official encourages soldiers to interpret orders on their own, outside the established chain of command, it weakens that foundation. It invites confusion, chaos and distrust within the ranks.
In this charged environment, the administration’s immigration actions reflect a recognition, perhaps overdue, that Washington must close the loopholes that extremists exploit. Under Trump’s direction, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has ordered a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of all green cards issued to immigrants from 19 “countries of concern” — a group of nations seen as presenting elevated security risks. As the organization’s director Joseph Edlow stated: “The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount.”
At the same time, President Donald Trump announced he would “permanently pause migration from all third-world countries … to allow the US system to fully recover.” He also vowed to remove immigrants “who are not a net asset to the United States.”
Critics may argue that these moves are harsh, unfair or discriminatory. But when lives, including those of law enforcement officers and ordinary citizens, are at stake, responsible governments must act. The American people deserve to live in safety. Immigrants who come seeking freedom, opportunity and a new life deserve assurance that they will not be mistaken for security threats.
Muslims in America and immigrants across the nation must confront an uncomfortable but necessary truth: they are being used as political instruments by the left. Through emotional manipulation, selective storytelling and constant appeals to fear, these activists and media allies exploit genuine cultural sensitivities and long-standing concerns about discrimination.
Instead of empowering these communities, they keep them anxious, divided and dependent, convinced that only one political side can protect them. This is not solidarity; it is exploitation dressed as advocacy. It is time for these communities to see through this carefully crafted manipulation and reclaim their dignity, independence and voice.

• Dalia Al-Aqidi is executive director at the American Center for Counter Extremism.