Poll: Two-thirds of Americans say ICE has “gone too far” in enforcing immigration laws

Following two shooting deaths of US citizens in Minnesota at the hands of federal immigration agents, 65 percent of Americans said ICE had "I went too far," According to The latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. President Trump is facing the highest levels of disapproval since the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

The percentage of those who say ICE has gone too far in immigration enforcement is an 11-point increase since last summer. It’s driven by independents and Democrats. Both groups rose by double digits.

Trump’s overall approval rating remains low at 39%, compared to 56% who disapprove and 51%. strongly Disagree. This is the highest Marist has ever seen In her vote Since I started wondering how much respondents approved or disapproved of presidents dating back to 2017.

“The thing we’ve seen in the numbers is the shift among some of the people who voted for him – for him Voting coalition “It’s not necessarily the government support he has, but his voting coalition,” Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, told me.

This coalition included young people, Latinos and independents, all of whom Trump faces difficulty in this poll.

“Right now, those groups are the ones that have escaped,” Miringoff added.

On the other hand, Trump’s base is sticking with him on a range of unpopular policies, from the behavior of ICE and the job Trump is doing, to tariffs, the need to consult with Congress before taking military action, and even whether the United States should take control of Greenland.

In Greenland, for example, nearly 7 in 10 Republicans said they supported control of Danish territory in the Arctic, while large numbers of independents and Democrats opposed such a move.

"For those who always think, “Ah!” This situation will truly unravel Republicans. “His base is collapsing.” " Miringoff said "Reports of this tend to be exaggerated and based on very scant evidence."

Despite all the attention on immigration enforcement, as well as Trump’s actions in Venezuela and threats to invade Greenland in recent weeks, a majority of voters still say, by a wide margin, that the Trump administration’s focus should be on lowering prices.

Americans largely disapprove of ICE

After the killing of two Americans in Minnesota and the ensuing uproar, the Trump administration reappointed Greg Bovino, the man who had been in charge of law enforcement operations. On Wednesday, White House border coordinator Tom Homan, who took over the Minnesota operation, said he was 700 federal agents withdrawn In the country.

When asked in Interview with NBC News Trump said: What he learned from the situation in Minneapolis, "I’ve learned that maybe we could use a little softer touch. But you still have to be tough. These are criminals. You’re dealing with really tough criminals."

None of the American citizens killed by federal agents — Renee McLean Goode or Alex Peretti — fit Trump’s description, but the shift in tone is noticeable.

There’s a good reason for that: Public opinion is not on the side of the Trump administration. In addition to the two-thirds who said ICE has gone too far, 6 in 10 also said they disapprove of the work ICE does overall, and about the same number believe the agency makes Americans less safe.

When it came to mass protests against ICE, by a 59% to 40% margin, more said the demonstrations were mostly lawful compared to people acting illegally.

Republicans increased slightly in saying ICE has gone too far, but they largely remained consistent in their support for ICE. Nearly three-quarters said they approve of the work ICE is doing, 77 percent said the agency is making Americans safer, and about three-quarters said the way the agency is going about enforcement is either "About the truth" (45 percent) or "Not far enough" (28 percent). Three-quarters of Republicans also believe that the protesters are mostly acting illegally.

Trump’s job approvals remain low, from economics to foreign policy

The general approval rate for the president’s performance is only 39 percent. His Marist poll approval rating has now fallen below 40 percent since November, also in line with polling averages show a decline.

He’s also unsure how he will handle the economy and foreign policy — 59 percent disapprove of the president on the economy and 56 percent disapprove of foreign policy.

Clearly, Trump’s tariffs are still hurting him. By a margin of 56% to 31%, more people say they are hurting the economy rather than helping it.

On foreign policy, two-thirds oppose the possibility of controlling Greenland; Two-thirds said the United States benefits from its relationship with NATO, and 56% of respondents had a positive view of the alliance. 72% believe that the president should consult with Congress before taking any military action.

Republicans continue to steadfastly support Trump’s policies, but he has lost popularity with the voters who helped him win in 2024.

Trump got to the finish line in the last presidential election with the help of independents, Latinos and young voters, but this poll and others show the coalition has broken down.

In this poll, only 30% of freelancers approved of the job he does overall. Nearly two-thirds disagree, and 56% strongly disagree; Two-thirds disapprove of how he is handling the economy, and nearly 6 in 10 believe lowering prices should be the Trump administration’s top priority.

In fact, on every question asked, independents sided with Democrats — often overwhelmingly.

Trump won a record share of Latinos for a Republican presidential nominee, and as has been the case for months, they turned sharply away from him. Only 38% of Latinos approve of the work he does. 60% disapprove of his handling of the economy, and the majority said that lowering prices should be the administration’s top priority. 61 percent disapprove of the way ICE does its job, and 70 percent believe the agency has gone too far.

However, Trump’s base shows no signs of cracks, and is an outlier on almost every question. For example:

• 85% approve of the work Trump is doing;

• 80% approve of how he is handling the economy.

• 77% approve of how he handles foreign policy.

• 77 percent believe ICE keeps Americans safe, including 52 percent who say so "safer," While 56% of independents and 80% of Democrats say so "Much less secure";

• 75 percent said protesters were mostly people acting illegally;

• 66% believe tariffs help the economy;

• 58% do not believe that the president needs to consult with Congress before taking military action.

• While Democrats and independents said lowering prices should be the administration’s top priority, a large number of Republicans (44 percent) said it should be immigration.

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