You make a great point about how people feel that way, regardless of the reality. Many conservatives feel like it was illegal not to get the COVID vaccine, despite nowhere in the US having a legal requirement. It was simply businesses requiring it for their employees and/or customers
To them the legal threat was very real, regardless of reality. Progressives need to understand that and work to alleviate the concerns of conservatives. We can shout all we want about how we shouldn't have to cater to them, or how basic empathy should be enough for conservatives, but that isn't the reality. If you genuinely feel immigrants are why you can't get a job, all empathy goes out the window. Telling them they're a bad person for doing something they think will help them feed their family will never work