Politico Poll Finds 50% Say Trump's Immigration Crackdown Is Too Aggressive
Updated
Updated · The Daily Beast · Aug 19
Politico Poll Finds 50% Say Trump's Immigration Crackdown Is Too Aggressive
3 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · Aug 19
Summary
Half of Americans still view Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown as too aggressive, a Politico poll found, with sentiment virtually unchanged from January and April despite a White House effort to lower ICE’s profile before the midterms.
56% said they noticed at least a small shift in how ICE operates, but the softer presentation did little to rebuild confidence: 44% said it made no difference to trust and 30% said it made them less willing to trust officials.
Nearly a quarter of Trump’s 2024 voters also said the campaign is too aggressive, while non-MAGA Trump voters were more than twice as likely as MAGA voters to say it has gone too far—31% versus 15%.
The findings point to a potential Republican vulnerability on an issue that has usually favored the party, as strategists say voters support border security but recoil from chaotic arrest scenes and pressure to boost deportation numbers.
The backlash follows months of controversy over ICE tactics, including the killings of two U.S. citizens earlier this year; Reuters reported in July that at least seven people have been killed in enforcement operations and 53 have died in ICE custody since January 2025.