Roosevelt was acutely aware that publicly denouncing Nazi persecution or making significant moves to facilitate Jewish immigration to the U.S. would likely have severe political repercussions. At the time, the prevailing narrative in American politics cast the issues surrounding Jews primarily as matters of immigration, which complicated any potential support for them.

This understanding led to a cautious approach from Roosevelt, as he weighed the moral obligation to respond to the atrocities against Jews against the potential backlash and political costs that such actions could incur. The framing of the Jewish situation as primarily an immigration dilemma influenced the national dialogue and Roosevelt's decisions during a critical period in history.