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Public Opinion Shifts Against Trump’s Immigration Enforcement Tactics
Approximately 60% of American adults believe President Donald Trump has “gone too far” in deploying federal immigration agents to U.S. cities, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The findings suggest political independents are growing increasingly uncomfortable with the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement.
While Trump’s overall approval rating on immigration has remained steady over the past month, with about 40% of Americans supporting his policies, the Republican Party’s traditional advantage on the issue has diminished significantly since October.
The poll found roughly equal numbers of Americans—about 30% each—trust Republicans or Democrats to better handle immigration matters. Another 30% don’t believe either party would manage the issue effectively, while about 10% think both parties would handle it equally well.
The president’s core supporters continue to back his immigration tactics enthusiastically. However, data suggests independents are increasingly aligning with Democrats in opposition to the administration’s approach.
“I am glad that immigrants aren’t just flooding across the border, but what he’s doing now in our cities, pitting the military against our people, these are gestapo tactics,” said Brenda Shaw, a 65-year-old independent and human resources manager from Michigan. “They’re shooting U.S. citizens in the face and in the back.”
The poll comes amid heightened tensions in Minneapolis, where thousands of heavily armed federal agents conducted operations targeting immigrants living in the country illegally. The administration recently announced the end of this operation, claiming it left the state safer. However, violent clashes with protesters resulted in two U.S. citizens being killed by federal agents.
The partisan divide on these issues remains stark. While approximately 90% of Democrats and 70% of independents believe Trump has “gone too far” with his use of federal agents in American cities, only about 25% of Republicans share this view. About half of Republicans consider the president’s actions “about right,” with another quarter believing he hasn’t gone far enough.
Teviss Crawford, a 20-year-old student from Louisiana who supports the president, expressed a desire for even stricter enforcement. “I don’t think the deportations have been enough, to be honest. I think it’s much too lax,” he said. “If you crossed into our country illegally, it’s just not right. You’re taking things away from people who were born here.”
Support for Trump’s immigration policies appears to be declining among independents—from 37% in March 2025 to 23% in the latest poll. About 60% of independents now say Trump has “gone too far” in deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, an apparent increase from 46% in April.
Most Americans, including independents, hold unfavorable views of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Overall, only about 30% of U.S. adults view the agency favorably. The partisan gap is significant, with just 10% of Democrats and 20% of independents expressing favorable opinions of ICE, compared to 70% of Republicans.
Rick Kinnett, a 60-year-old Navy veteran and independent from Indiana, expressed concern over enforcement tactics: “Having the border shut, that’s OK. But what Trump is doing with ICE and Homeland Security? You don’t go yanking people out of cars. You don’t go shooting people. I spent eight years in the military. This is not what I signed up for.”
Despite a month of immigration-related turmoil, Trump’s approval rating on immigration has remained steady at around 38% since January, when the first U.S. citizen in Minnesota was killed by federal agents. His overall presidential approval rating stands at 36%, with similar ratings on economic and foreign policy matters.
These numbers would typically prompt members of a president’s party to distance themselves from him, especially ahead of midterm elections. However, Trump’s allies in Washington and state capitals remain united behind him, reflecting his consistently strong support among Republican voters.
The narrowing Republican advantage on immigration represents a concerning trend for Trump’s party. In October, the GOP held a 13-point edge over Democrats on the issue (39% to 26%); that gap has now shrunk to just 4 points.
The AP-NORC poll of 1,156 adults was conducted February 5-8 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
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12 Comments
It’s concerning to see such a high percentage of Americans feeling that neither party can effectively handle immigration. This underscores the need for bipartisan solutions on this complex issue.
Agreed. Polarization and partisan gridlock have hindered progress on immigration reform for too long. Hopefully this poll will spur lawmakers to work together on pragmatic, compassionate policies.
This poll provides an interesting snapshot of the shifting public sentiment on immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. It will be worth tracking how these views evolve leading up to the next election cycle.
This poll provides a thought-provoking snapshot of the evolving public sentiment on the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics. It will be worth tracking how these views continue to shift in the lead-up to the next election cycle.
This poll highlights how independents are growing concerned over the administration’s heavy-handed immigration tactics. It’s interesting to see the traditional partisan divide on this issue start to shift.
You’re right, the findings suggest Trump’s approach is losing some of its appeal, even among his core supporters. It’ll be interesting to see if this trend continues.
The finding that a significant portion of Americans don’t believe either party can effectively handle immigration is quite concerning. This underscores the need for lawmakers to work together on pragmatic, compassionate solutions to this complex issue.
It’s interesting to see the traditional partisan divide on immigration start to shift, with independents increasingly aligning with Democrats in opposition to the administration’s approach. This could have significant political implications.
The data seems to indicate that Americans, regardless of party affiliation, are increasingly dissatisfied with the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies. This could have significant political implications.
Absolutely. With both parties now viewed equally on this issue, there may be an opportunity for a more balanced, humane approach to gain broader public support.
The data points to a growing discomfort among independents with the administration’s aggressive immigration tactics. This could signal an opportunity for a more balanced, humane approach to gain broader public support.
Absolutely. With both parties now viewed equally on this issue, there may be room for bipartisan solutions that address the complexities of immigration in a more constructive manner.