Anti-Immigration Narratives and Polarization Intensify in November

Anti-Immigration Narratives Become Dominant

Perscient's semantic signature tracking the density of language arguing that mass migration is destroying America registered 135% percent above its long-term average in November 2025, representing an intensification of 91 points from October levels. This surge coincides with the U.S. foreign-born population reaching 15.6 percent in 2024, the highest share in modern American history. The increase in linguistic density is almost certainly associated with the promotion and repeating of White House promises to dedicate massive federal resources to rounding up and deporting immigrants, with raids and sweeps particularly targeting sanctuary cities following the November 2024 election. One in five immigrants now reports personally knowing someone who has been arrested, detained, or deported since January, according to a KFF/New York Times survey.

Meanwhile, Perscient's signature measuring the density of language celebrating immigrants' contributions to American greatness declined by 21 points from October to November. This recent weakening in positive immigration narratives is noteworthy, considering that for much of 2025 this counternarrative managed to keep almost as much energy as anti-immigration stories. The backdrop in the world of reality is not very much in question. International migration has dominated growth in most major American metropolitan areas, accounting for all growth in 21 of 54 expanding metro areas during 2023-24.

Consistent with these changes, the density of language arguing that multiculturalism has failed in America rose by 14 points to a level more than 25 percent above its long-term average. Since Donald Trump made immigration a central theme of his first presidential campaign announcement in 2015, the issue has evolved into a core platform concern for both major parties, with immigration ranking among voters' top concerns alongside the economy, health care, and foreign policy.

Social media discourse reflected these tensions with particular intensity. Posts highlighted concerns about demographic change through both legal and illegal immigration, with one widely-shared message noting, "Somali voting blocs in Minnesota. Mamdani elected mayor in New York. Islamic prayer calls echoing through Michigan. This didn't happen because of illegal immigration. It happened because of mass legal immigration." Another post emphasized the scale of concern: "mass deportations freeze immigration ban foreign buyers seize foreign-owned property restrict institutional buyers tax second and third homes."

Partisan Animosity and Existential Threat Language Strengthen

The divergence in and aggression of immigration narratives point to broader patterns of political division. Perscient's semantic signature tracking the density of language portraying domestic political opponents as existential threats rose by 12.4 points to a level 50% above average in November. This increase occurred as the density of language arguing that Americans remain on the same team despite disagreements declined to barely measurable levels. The divergence between these signatures suggests that media discourse and public statements increasingly frame political opposition in zero-sum, antagonistic terms rather than as legitimate democratic disagreement.

A September 2024 Gallup poll found that a record 80 percent of U.S. adults believe Americans are greatly divided on the most important values, while just 18 percent believe the country is united. This public perception aligns with scholarly research showing the United States has experienced the most rapid growth in affective polarization among the general electorate since 1980 among 12 OECD countries studied in 2024. The current political divide has escalated beyond policy disagreements into what many observers characterize as an existential clash over American identity and the boundaries of government responsibility. These kinds of issues begin to veer into questions of whether Americans even share the same fundamental ideals. And yes, true to form, the density of language asserting that shared ideals unite Americans fell by 14 points in November.

Social media commentary reflected this fracturing with particular acuity. One post noted, "The current state of US politics is not sustainable and bound to crash at some point. Both parties now represent teams in a sports game whose sole purpose is to beat the other one up." Another observed potential long-term consequences: "USA is collapsing, what remains is only inertia. The government has been fully delegitimized." Some commentators identified deeper structural issues, with one noting, "We're watching some major fractures form within the American Right right now. This goes back to a point I've made for years: being 'pro-Trump' was never a political philosophy."

The transformation of democratic processes from forums for compromise and respectful dialogue into winner-takes-all battlegrounds of dysfunction and animosity marks a shift in how Americans understand political opposition. Research indicates that people living in communities with denser social networks consistently report less partisan animosity and a greater sense of national unity, suggesting the crisis of disconnection extends beyond political disagreement into fundamental questions about social cohesion.

Debates Over Elite Institutions and Foreign Access Remain Elevated

These patterns of political division extend fairly naturally into debates about who should have access to elite American institutions. As you might imagine, “not foreigners” is the answer that fits the zeitgeist most squarely. The signature tracking the density of language opposing excessive foreign enrollment in American institutions remained more than 2.4 times its long-term average in November, indicating sustained concern that foreign access to elite American universities is crowding out opportunities for ordinary Americans.

Recent policy developments underscore these tensions. Republicans in the House and Senate have outlined their priorities for higher education policy, including stronger oversight of foreign dollars flowing to colleges and universities. Meanwhile, UC Berkeley sharply increased international enrollment for Fall 2025, admitting 1,469 first-year international students—a 94.8 percent rise from 2024—even as new data shows the number of international college students enrolling in American schools for the first time decreased by 17 percent nationally.

Social media discourse highlighted the scale of foreign enrollment at elite institutions. One post noted, "55% of Columbia's students are foreign nationals. 42% of NYU is foreign. 42% of Princeton's graduate program is foreign. 27% of Harvard's student body is foreign." Another emphasized workforce implications: "These programs aren't just boxing young Americans out of our workforce. They're boxing them out of our universities too. There are now over 1.1 million foreign students in the U.S. system—an all-time record."

This concern has not utterly erased belief in the importance of attracting the best and brightest to American shores, however. Our signature measuring the density of language celebrating America's ability to attract global talent rose modestly to about 33% above its long-term average. This gap may illustrate two competing visions of America's relationship with global talent. Critics of current policies argue that driving international students away doesn't make America stronger but hands competitive advantage to rival nations, noting that these students pay tuition subsidizing American students and many stay afterward to work as scientists and engineers.

The short of it seems to be that both sides of the old American story of E Pluribus Unum, that is, both the ‘from many’ and the ‘one’, seem to be under heavy pressure as we march toward the end of 2025.

Archived Pulse

October 2025

• Global Talent Competition Intensifies as America Retreats
• Immigration Narratives Show Divergent Trends
• Cultural Unity Narratives Remain Subdued

Pulse is your AI analyst built on Perscient technology, summarizing the major changes and evolving narratives across our Storyboard signatures, and synthesizing that analysis with illustrative news articles and high-impact social media posts.