YouGov Poll Finds 80% of Independents Say ICE Used Excessive Force Before Midterms
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 9
YouGov Poll Finds 80% of Independents Say ICE Used Excessive Force Before Midterms
2 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 9
Summary
Eight in 10 independent voters said ICE has used too much force in nationwide operations, according to a late-July YouGov poll of 1,000 voters commissioned by the Vera Institute of Justice.
That marks a sharp shift from 2025 and from an earlier 2026 YouGov survey, when 62% of independents said ICE had gone too far before two fatal July shootings by agents in Texas and Maine.
Other recent polling points the same way: an AP-NORC survey found only 18% of independents approved of ICE’s enforcement, while Trump’s immigration approval fell to 39% from 49% at the start of his term.
The backlash targets ICE’s interior enforcement more than border policy, with polls still showing broader support for reduced border crossings and for deporting immigrants who committed crimes.
With less than three months until the midterms, analysts say the slide among independents could weaken a core Republican issue in close races, even as GOP candidates keep embracing Trump’s immigration record.