Americans have become more positive about immigration since the start of Donald Trump's second term and many believe his approach to the issue has been too harsh. More say that the response by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to recent protests has been violent than say the same about the protesters themselves. Majorities support several proposals for increasing regulation of ICE — including requiring body cameras and judicial warrants — and nearly half of Americans want the agency to be abolished.
What you need to know about Americans' views on immigration and ICE, as of the January 30 - February 2, 2026 Economist / YouGov Poll:
Views on immigration
- Americans are divided on whether the number of legal immigrants accepted into the U.S. should be increased or decreased, but fewer now want the number to be reduced than did at the start of Trump's second term
- 31% want to decrease the number of immigrants accepted or reduce it to zero, down 10 10 points from 41% in January 2025
- The decline came across the political spectrum: a 14-point drop among Democrats, 10 points among Independents, and 9 points among Republicans
- Americans are also more likely to say that immigration makes the country better off than they were at the start of Trump's term: 46% say it does, up from 31% in January 2025
- Positive sentiment about immigration has been higher during Trump's two terms in office than it was while Joe Biden was president
The share of Democrats who say immigrants make the country better off increased by 22 points. Among Independents, it increased by 14 points, and among Republicans, by 11 points
Half (50%) of Americans think Trump's approach to immigration policy is too harsh; 36% say it is about right and only 8% think it is too soft
- More Americans strongly or somewhat disapprove than approve of Trump's handling of immigration (52% vs. 44%)
- Among those who approve, most (76%) say Trump's approach to immigration has been about right; 16% say it has been too soft and 4% say it has been too harsh
- Among those who disapprove, 91% say his approach has been too harsh; 4% say it has been about right and 1% say it has been too soft
- While a large majority (86%) of Americans agree that illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes should be deported, far fewer say the same about other groups of immigrants who are in the country illegally
- 43% support deporting those who have committed non-violent crimes
- 26% support deporting those who have young children who are U.S. citizens
- 23% support deporting those who have lived in the U.S. for many years without committing any crimes
- 21% support deporting those who came to the U.S. as children
- 16% support deporting those who are married to a U.S. citizen
Only one-quarter (26%) of Americans think that most of the people being deported by ICE are criminals; 12% think that about half are criminals and far more (44%) believe that less than half are
- Three-quarters (74%) of Democrats believe less than half, nearly none, or none of immigrants being deported have criminal records while only 12% of Republicans agree; only 5% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans believe that most, nearly all, or all do
- 59% of Americans believe that immigrants who are facing deportation should have the right to challenge their deportation in court; 29% say they should not have this right
- Only 42% of Americans believe immigrants do have a right to challenge their deportation in court; 31% think they do not have this right
ICE in Minneapolis
- More Americans approve than disapprove of recent protests against ICE actions (50% vs. 40%)
- Net support for the protests has risen to +10 from +3 two weeks ago (47% approved and. 44% disapproved)
- 50% of Americans say that most anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis have been peaceful; fewer (35%) say the same about ICE officers who have been responding to the recent protests
- 35% say most anti-ICE protesters have been violent; more (47%) say the same about ICE officers responding to the protests
52% of Americans think there should be fewer or no immigration agents in Minneapolis; 21% want the government to send more immigration agents and 13% want to keep the current number
- Two-thirds (67%) of Americans — including 76% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans — have seen video footage of federal immigration agents shooting Alex Pretti in Minneapolis
- By 55% to 22%, Americans believe the shooting of Pretti was not justified rather than justified
- The vast majority (88%) of Democrats and most Independents (58%) think the shooting of Pretti was not justified. Republicans are twice as likely to say it was justified as not justified (47% vs. 22%)
72% think the immigration agents who shot Pretti should be investigated
- Americans are divided on who should be responsible for investigating the Pretti shooting: 20% say the federal government should, 17% say the Minnesota state government should, 45% say both should, and 7% say neither should
- 51% of Americans say that the Trump administration's account of the Pretti shooting has been mostly or totally dishonest, twice the share who say it has been honest (29%)
Slightly more Americans say that people who are licensed to carry a concealed handgun should be allowed to do so at protests than say they should not be (43% vs. 39%)
- Unlike with opinions on most issues related to gun control, on this issue Democrats are more likely than Republicans to support a gun right: allowing concealed handguns at protests (48% vs. 38%)
- Views of Minnesota leaders Amy Klobuchar (0 net favorability, meaning as many Americans have a very or somewhat favorable view of her than an unfavorable ones) and Tim Walz (-5) are more positive than those of Trump administration officials Tom Homan (-9), Stephen Miller (-20), Gregory Bovino (-21) and Kristi Noem (-21)
- Americans are about equally likely to have favorable and unfavorable views of journalist Don Lemon, who is being prosecuted by the Justice Department for his presence at an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church earlier this month. More Americans disapprove than approve of Lemon's prosecution (43% vs. 30%)
- 50% of Americans believe ICE is making Americans less safe; only 33% think it is making Americans more safe
- One-third (32%) of Americans say they would want the number of immigration agents that have been sent to Minnesota to come to their own state; 54% would not want this
- Americans are generally supportive of five measures to rein in federal immigration agents
- 84% support and 8% oppose requiring federal immigration agents to wear body cameras, the only one of the five proposed measures with majority Republican support
- 69% support and 19% oppose requiring federal immigration agents to have judicial warrants in order to forcibly enter homes of people subject to deportation
- 66% support and 22% oppose banning federal immigration agents from entering schools or churches
- 64% support and 23% oppose banning federal immigration from stopping people based solely on factors such as their race or ethnicity
- 55% support and 33% oppose banning federal immigration agents from wearing face masks
- 46% of Americans support and 44% oppose abolishing ICE, little changed from two weeks ago
Image: Getty (Scott Olson / Staff)
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