Democrats hear voters’ anger over ICE actions, rising costs and party image

Members of Majority Democrats, a new group of federal, state and local elected officials, say town halls and focus groups held since the summer revealed voter anger about immigration enforcement, the rising cost of living and a sense that Democrats and Republicans are ‘‘part of one big problem.’’ Representative Pat Ryan of New York, who held a focus group at the end of August with voters who backed both him and Mr.

Trump in 2024, said he was ‘‘pretty stunned’’ by ‘‘the level of real angst and frustration with President Trump’s overreach on ICE in particular,’’ and that voters described actions like ‘‘rounding up their neighbors, and in many cases, their fellow employees.’’ Democratic-leaning voters at other events told Representative Sarah McBride of Delaware that they want Democrats to be fighters without being ‘‘judgy,’’ and she said rhetoric inside the coalition had left ‘‘a lot of voters believing that we did not like them.’’ Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan said Democrats also face a perception problem for appearing to ‘‘be for everything’’ and urged narrowing priorities to ‘‘two or three things that actually impact people.’’ On affordability, Mr.

Key Topics

Politics, Majority Democrats, Ice, Pat Ryan, Elissa Slotkin, Immigration Enforcement