Academia actually involves a lot of politics... just not the kind that says it's all the immigrants' fault.

It is still quite tribal, with whole mutually hostile clans that stem from a particular professor or workplace. Plus the economy of academy tends to be quite zero-sum.

Also, the US academy specifically cares about your race a lot.

It's more the kind of deciding how to spend other people's money.

Both government and academia know how to navigate this well - by avoiding accountability.