Many Americans disapprove of several of the Trump administration’s most controversial immigration actions. For example, 61% disapprove of deporting some immigrants who are in the United States illegally to a prison in El Salvador, while far fewer – 37% – approve of this policy. Views are similar on suspending asylum applications from people seeking to live in the U.S.
There is somewhat more support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducting more raids on workplaces where people in the U.S. illegally may be working. Still, more disapprove (54%) than approve (45%) of increasing these raids.
(Note: Most of this survey was conducted before recent protests in Los Angeles and other cities against ICE immigration sweeps and before the Trump administration’s subsequent decision to deploy Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles.)
The public is roughly split on using state and local law enforcement to aid in deportation efforts and significantly increasing the number of federal employees who are working on such deportation efforts.
Notably, substantially expanding the wall along the U.S. border with Mexico – a signature policy priority of Donald Trump’s first term – draws majority support. Currently, 56% favor expanding the border wall, up from 46% in 2019.
Wide partisan gaps in approval of Trump’s immigration policies
Republicans largely approve of all eight administration policies included in the survey, while majorities of Democrats disapprove of each policy. Still, opinions among partisans vary across the individual items.
Among Republicans
Sizable majorities of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents support expanding enforcement efforts against people in the U.S. illegally:
- 81% approve of using state and local law enforcement to help with efforts to deport those in the U.S. illegally.
- 78% approve of increasing the number of federal employees devoted to deportation efforts.
- 76% approve of increased workplace raids by ICE.
There is somewhat less GOP support for other actions. About six-in-ten Republicans (58%) approve of offering money and travel funds to immigrants in the U.S. illegally if they voluntarily leave – the lowest of any item included on the survey.
Among Democrats
For seven of the eight Trump administration immigration policies asked about in the survey, no more than a quarter of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents approve.
The policy that draws the most support among Democrats is the approach that attracts the least support among Republicans: 41% of Democrats approve of offering money and travel funds to immigrants in the U.S. illegally if they voluntarily leave the country.
Views by race, ethnicity and party
Opinions about the administration’s immigration policies vary by race and ethnicity. But there are wider differences by race and ethnicity among Republicans than Democrats.
Race and ethnicity
Hispanic and Black Americans are deeply skeptical of the administration’s immigration policies:
- Fewer than four-in-ten Hispanic Americans approve of seven out of the eight policies included in the survey. A larger share (45%) approve of offering money and travel funds to people in the U.S. illegally to leave the country voluntarily.
- No more than about a third of Black adults approve of any of these immigration policies.
Opinions among Asian Americans vary widely across the policies: Majorities approve of using state and local law enforcement to help with deportation efforts (58%) and offering funds to those here illegally who self-deport (59%). But there is far less support for other policies.
Majorities of White adults approve of several of the administration’s policies. For instance, 59% support using state and local law enforcement to help with deportation efforts, and 56% approve of increasing the number of federal employees working on efforts to detain and deport people in the U.S. illegally.
Race and ethnicity among partisans
There are substantial differences among Republicans by race and ethnicity on these questions, with White Republicans more likely than Hispanic Republicans to approve of most of these policies.
For example, most White Republicans (87%) approve of using state and local law enforcement to help with efforts to deport people in the country illegally.
A much smaller share (57%) of Hispanic Republicans share this view.
There are similar gaps between White and Hispanic Republicans on increasing the number of federal employees working on efforts to detain and deport people in the U.S. illegally (84% vs. 55%) and ICE conducting more raids where people in the U.S. illegally may be working (82% vs. 58%).
Racial and ethnic differences in views of Trump policies are much narrower among Democrats.
Age differences in views of Trump’s immigration policies
For the most part, Trump’s immigration actions draw more support among people 50 and older than among younger adults.
Nearly six-in-ten older adults approve of using state and local law enforcement to aid deportation efforts (58%) and of increasing federal personnel working on these efforts (57%). By comparison, about four-in-ten adults under 50 approve each of these policies.
Age differences in attitudes about immigration policies are particularly pronounced among Republicans.
For example, while 89% of Republicans ages 50 and older approve of using state and local law enforcement to help with efforts to deport people in the U.S. illegally, a smaller majority (73%) of those under 50 say the same.
And older Republicans are more likely than younger Republicans to say they approve of ICE conducting more raids where people in the U.S. illegally may be working (85% vs. 67%).
The pattern of older Republicans being more likely than younger Republicans to approve of the administration’s immigration approach is consistent across all of these policies.
Expanding the wall along the U.S. border with Mexico
A narrow majority of Americans (56%) favor substantially expanding the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border – a 10 percentage point increase from 2019. This increased support is largely driven by shifts among Democrats.
Most Democrats continue to oppose substantially expanding the border wall (73%). But Democrats are about twice as likely to favor expansion today (27%) than they were in 2019 (14%).
- 36% of conservative and moderate Democrats favor expansion today, up from 19% in 2019.
- 14% of liberal Democrats favor expanding the wall, up from 9% six years ago.
Republicans continue to overwhelmingly favor a substantial expansion of the border wall (88% say this today, 86% said this in 2019).
Support for U.S.-Mexico border wall expansion has also increased across racial and demographic groups. And while Hispanic and Black adults remain much less likely than White and Asian adults to favor expanding the wall, growth in support is especially notable among these groups:
- 42% of Hispanic Americans favor expanding the wall, up from 24% in 2019.
- Support for border wall expansion among Black Americans is up 17 points over this period (39% now, 22% then).
Impact of the Trump administration’s immigration policies on the economy, crime
Among the public overall, more say Trump’s immigration policies will make the economy weaker (46%) than stronger (34%), with 19% expecting them to have not much of an impact.
Similarly, 53% say the policies will cost taxpayers money, while 29% say they will save money; 16% say they will not have much of an impact.
Views are more positive when it comes to how Trump’s approach to immigration might affect crime: 41% say Trump’s policies will lead to less crime, 37% say they will not have much impact and 20% say they will lead to more crime.
Half of Americans say the Trump administration is too careless in its deportation policies. About the same share say either it has been about right (39%) or too careful (9%).
Republicans generally are much more likely than Democrats to see positive impacts from these policies:
Cost and impact on the economy
- 57% of Republicans say these policies will save taxpayers money. And 64% say they will make the economy stronger.
- Most Democrats say the administration’s immigration policies will cost taxpayers money (83%) and make the U.S. economy weaker (78%).
Impact on crime
- 75% of Republicans say the administration’s immigration policies will lead to less crime in the U.S.
- 56% of Democrats say these policies will not have much of an impact on crime in the U.S.
Has the administration’s approach been careful or careless?
- 69% of Republicans say the Trump administration’s approach to deportations has been about right (rather than too careless or too careful).
- 81% of Democrats say the administration’s approach has been too careless.
