One of the latest surveys on American attitudes toward U.S. immigration policies shows President Donald Trump is decidedly “underwater” on the issue.
The Navigator Research study released last month found 47% of registered voters approve of the administration’s handling of immigration and 50% disapprove.
Since taking office Jan. 20, the administration has expanded immigration raids, mass detention and deportations of immigrants, deployed military forces to the border and Los Angeles, ended refugee resettlement and rescinded the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers fleeing violence.
The largest bloc in favor of those policies was found among Republicans (83%), compared to 12% of Democrats. Examined by race, 61% of Black adults, 56% of Hispanics, 45% percent of whites and 69% of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders disapprove of Trump’s approach.
The use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids for deportation efforts was found to be “concerning” to 57% of all respondents, while deploying the U.S. Marines and National Guard troops in Los Angeles concerned 62%. Almost 60% were concerned about the arrests of elected officials for protesting or questioning the president’s policies.
“Since January, support for Trump’s deportation plan has declined by a net 14 points (from net +10 to -4),” Navigator explained. Much of the drop resulted from a loss of confidence among non-MAGA Republicans (+50 to +27) and among Black voters (from -4 to -41).
“The backlash stems from perceptions that Trump’s approach is too aggressive,” the report says, with 52% of Americans saying “he’s gone too far” by indiscriminately targeting immigrants instead of focusing on those with violent criminal histories.
One in 10 voters, including 19% of Hispanics, report knowing at least one person who has been detained by ICE, Navigator found. “At least half of Black (50%), Hispanic (56%) and AAPI (58%) have seen images of an arrest or mistreatment of an immigrant they found concerning.”
Navigator also asked questions about humanitarian and economic concerns raised by the administration’s immigration actions. Just over 50% agreed ICE raids are generating economic chaos and 49% agreed the tactics are inhumane. By comparison, 40% said the raids are necessary.
“Americans want both control and compassion: They want to crack down on perceived crime, but they also want a path forward for people who have been in the country for years or are here to work and provide a better life for their families,” the report states.
Nearly 80% of registered voters want the administration to focus on deporting immigrants convicted of serious crimes and 76% said they would prefer the government “fix our broken immigration system to ensure there are safe, legal ways for people to immigrate into the U.S,” the report says.
“By contrast, the least popular idea we tested — favored by just 29% — is ‘deport all undocumented immigrants, even those with U.S. citizen family members or those who’ve lived here for more than a decade.’”
But the poll also showed voters don’t trust Democrats on immigration, either. In fact, 49% of respondents said they trust Republicans more on the issue than they do Democrats, at 41%.
“Democrats can begin to regain voter trust by showing they support a new path forward that balances public safety with building a humane and orderly legal immigration system,” said Nick Gourevitch, president of research and insights for Global Strategy Group and a pollster for Navigator Research.
It’s also clear Latino voters want a kinder, gentler approach to immigration than what they are getting from the Trump administration, said Clarissa Martinez De Castro, vice president of the Latino Vote Initiative at UnidosUS.
“Fair, firm and free of cruelty — that is the message from Hispanic voters on immigration,” she said. “Latino voters understand these are intertwined threads necessary to have order to the border and beyond. But what they are experiencing is abuse of power, chaos and intimidation, with severe human and economic consequences.”
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