Hey Everyone,
Welcome to another edition of Influencer Impact.
The past few weeks have been heavy. The scale and visibility of ICE’s actions have sparked widespread anger online, and many people are looking for ways to channel that energy into something meaningful (including us at People First).
With this in mind we thought we would try and share some insight into what is going on online, outside of our own partisan silos, and see if we can find any opportunities for meeting this moment.
As always, stay safe and reach out if you need anything.
XXX,
Nicole, VP of Growth
Where Engagement Is Breaking Through Political Divides
The past few weeks have made one thing clear. Rage over ICE’s actions is not fading. It is intensifying.
We have watched the killings of two Minneapolis residents, Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, circulate widely online. We have seen videos shared across platforms, children detained, and tactics used that many of us never expected to witness in our modern democracy. These moments did not stay contained to one political corner of the internet. They broke through everywhere.
As the fallout continues to unfold, so has the urgency to do something. People are not just reacting, they are looking for somewhere to place their anger, for language that fits what they are feeling, and for pathways that might lead to accountability.
As we were having a lot of internal discussions about navigating this moment our Director of Research, Magda, and I dug into recent online discourse to understand where people are reacting from, what they are saying in common, and whether there are any real opportunities to rally opposition to ICE’s actions across political lines.
To no one’s surprise, rage was the common denominator
One of the clearest findings comes from looking at how people responded during and immediately after the killings. Regardless of political affiliation, people consumed the video.
What unified those viewers was not agreement on immigration policy. It was rage at what they were witnessing with almost all posts responding with a negative sentiment (seen in red above).
Interestingly, the content produced by those who fall into our Left Leaning audience were the ones garnering higher engagement.
Seeing a 583% increase in engagements since the murders of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, this content evoked sympathy for human lives lost.
This matters because it challenges the idea that polarization always prevents shared emotional response. In moments of visible state violence, consumption patterns converge even when interpretation diverges.
Disappointment With the Federal Government Is a Shared Position
Both sides largely took expected positions in their framing. That was not surprising. What was more interesting was where we saw overlap.
Trust in leadership is continuing to degrade across the aisle. Both sides expressed disappointment with the federal government. On the right, this showed up as renewed emphasis on federal overreach and the idea that the federal government should not have free rein over states or individual citizens. This narrative has deep roots in conservative ideology, but its re-emergence in this moment is notable.
That shared dissatisfaction is not unity, but it is alignment. It creates a potential avenue for engagement that does not require abandoning values.
Creators Are the Entry Point
Working with creators across the political spectrum allows this issue to be discussed without immediately escalating division. Creators can speak to their own audiences using language that focuses on government overreach, without flattening the issue or forcing consensus. That is where meaningful engagement is happening right now, and where it is most likely to continue.
People are taking this moment to respond in real time with their personal perspective, and that is valuable to audiences right now. To feel that someone is on the other side of the phone experiencing the same emotions you are, increases peoples hope that action can be taken.
This is not about finding a “middle ground” message. It is about allowing multiple entry points into the same moment, grounded in lived reaction.
Something Is Also Happening on TikTok
Finally, we cannot ignore what we are seeing on TikTok. Since January 24, engagement with ICE-related content on TikTok has dropped by roughly 90 percent, nearly to zero, even as engagement increased on other platforms like Instagram.
Many users report being unable to upload anti-ICE videos. TikTok has stated this was a bug. At this point, the cause remains unclear. What is clear is that the platform disruption itself has become part of the story, shaping where and how people express outrage.
We suspect there is more to unpack here, and we will continue to monitor it closely.
What This Moment Reveals
This is not a moment defined by persuasion. It is a moment defined by shared emotional response and growing skepticism toward federal power.
For organizations trying to engage this space responsibly, the takeaway is simple: people are not waiting to be convinced. They are looking to be seen, and they are responding most strongly to voices that feel grounded in real reaction.
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