---
title: "Growing shares say the Trump administration is doing ‘too much’ to deport immigrants in the U.S. illegally"
description: "Overall, 50% of adults disapprove of the Trump administration’s approach to immigration, including 36% who strongly disapprove. "
date: "2025-12-15"
authors:
  - name: "Hannah Hartig"
    job_title: "Senior Researcher"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/hannah-hartig/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/12/15/growing-shares-say-the-trump-administration-is-doing-too-much-to-deport-immigrants-in-the-us-illegally/"
categories:
  - "Immigration Attitudes"
  - "Political Issues"
  - "Politics & Policy"
  - "Unauthorized Immigration"
---

# Growing shares say the Trump administration is doing ‘too much’ to deport immigrants in the U.S. illegally

![U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents stand guard near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, Illinois, on Oct. 3, 2025. (Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/12/SR_25.12.15_deportations_feature.jpg?w=640)
*U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents stand guard near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, Illinois, on Oct. 3, 2025. (Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images)*

As the Trump administration [escalates its immigration enforcement efforts](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/as-ice-boosts-recruitment-critics-concerned-over-changes-to-hiring-and-training-standards), 53% of Americans say it is doing “too much” when it comes to deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally. That share is up from 44% in March.

[![Stacked bar charts showing that Americans see the Trump administration’s approach to immigration more negatively than positively, and 53% say it’s doing ‘too much’ on deportations.](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/12/SR_25.12.15_deportations_1.png?w=640)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=282931)

At the same time, a large majority [continue to say](https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/03/26/views-on-deportations-and-arrests-of-immigrants-in-the-u-s-illegally/#:~:text=Views%20on%20whether%20immigrants%20living%20in%20the%20country%20illegally%20should%20be%20deported) at least *some *of these immigrants should be deported, according to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted Oct. 6-16, 2025.

Overall, 50% of adults disapprove of the Trump administration’s approach to immigration, including 36% who *strongly* disapprove. A smaller share (39%) approve, including 24% who *strongly* approve.

**How we did this**

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand Americans’ views of deporting immigrants who are in the United States illegally.

This analysis is based on a survey conducted Oct. 6-16, 2025, among 8,046 U.S. adults.

We recruited people through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This gives nearly all U.S. adults a chance of selection.

We conducted interviews in English and Spanish, either online or by telephone with a live interviewer. The survey is weighted to reflect the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education, presidential vote (among voters) and other factors. [Read more about the ATP’s methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/the-american-trends-panel/).

Here are the [questions we used for this analysis](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/11/RE_2025.11.24_Latinos-and-Trump-Policies_Questionnaire.pdf), the [topline](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/11/RE_2025.11.24_Latinos-and-Trump-Policies_TOPLINE.pdf) and the [survey methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/11/24/latinos-trump-policies-methodology/).

Across partisan coalitions and racial and ethnic groups, more Americans say now than in March that the Trump administration is doing too much on deportations:

[![Stacked bar charts showing that more Republicans and Democrats now say the Trump administration is doing ‘too much’ on deportations.](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/12/SR_25.12.15_deportations_2.png?w=620)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=282928)

- 86% of Democrats and Democratic leaners say the administration is doing too much, up 11 percentage points since March.

- 20% of Republicans and Republican leaners say this, up 7 points.

Hispanic Republicans are far more likely than White Republicans to say the Trump administration is doing too much. This gap has widened since March.

- 47% of Hispanic Republicans say the administration is doing too much, up from 28% in March.

- 13% of White Republicans say this, up from 8%.

Among Democrats, the gaps between racial and ethnic groups are more modest.

#### Views of deportations by party, race and ethnicity

Republicans and Democrats differ on the question of whether – and how many – immigrants living in the U.S. illegally should be deported.

[![Stacked bar charts showing that White Republicans are more likely than Hispanic and Asian Republicans to say all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally should be deported.](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/12/SR_25.12.15_deportations_3.png?w=640)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=282930)

A 56% majority of Republicans say *all* immigrants in the country illegally should be deported, while 39% say *some* should. Just 4% say none should.

In contrast, 62% of Democrats say *some *immigrants in the country illegally should be deported, while 30% say none should. Just 8% say all should.

**There are also sizable differences in these views by race and ethnicity within the two coalitions, particularly among Republicans.**

White Republicans (63%) are far more likely than Hispanic (28%) and Asian (38%) Republicans to say all immigrants in the country illegally should be deported.

There is less variation among Democrats. Half or more White, Black, Hispanic and Asian Democrats say that *some *immigrants living in the U.S. illegally should be deported.

In both parties, Hispanic adults are more likely than those in other racial and ethnic groups to say *none* of the immigrants in the U.S. illegally should be deported.

*For a deeper look at the conditions under which Americans said immigrants in the country illegally should be deported, *[*read our report from March*](https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/03/26/americans-views-of-deportations/)*.*

#### Concerns about deportations rise, especially among Democrats and Latinos

In March, 19% of U.S. adults said they worried a lot or some that they, a family member or a close friend could be deported. As of October, 26% say this.

[![Line charts showing that Democrats, Hispanic adults are more likely than others to worry about personal impacts of deportations.](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/12/SR_25.12.15_deportations_4.png?w=640)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=282932)

Democrats remain far more likely than Republicans to express this concern (41% vs. 10%).

**While concerns have risen across most racial and ethnic groups, they remain highest among Latinos. **About half (52%) now say they are worried that someone close to them could be deported, up from 42% in March.

About six-in-ten Latinos (59%) say Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has [conducted arrests or raids](https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/11/24/latinos-experiences-with-immigration-enforcement-in-the-second-trump-administration/) in their area in recent months. This is higher than the shares of Asian (47%), Black (39%) or White (38%) adults who say this has occurred in their local communities.

#### Latinos in both parties are more worried than other groups about personal impacts of deportations

[![A dot plot showing that, in both parties, Hispanic adults are more likely than others to be worried about deportations.](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/12/SR_25.12.15_deportations_5.png?w=620)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=282929)

In both partisan groups, Hispanic adults stand out for their concerns about how deportations could affect them or people they know.

For example, Hispanic Republicans (35%) are much more likely than White Republicans (5%) to say they worry a lot or some about someone close to them being deported. They’re also about twice as likely as Asian Republicans (16%) to express this view.

In addition, 64% of Hispanic Democrats say they worry a lot or some about deportations impacting them. Much smaller shares of White (33%), Black (35%), or Asian (37%) Democrats say the same.

***Related: ***[*Majorities of Latinos Disapprove of Trump and His Policies on Immigration, Economy*](https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/11/24/majorities-of-latinos-disapprove-of-trump-and-his-policies-on-immigration-economy/)

*Note: Research Associate Luis Noe-Bustamante contributed to this analysis. Here are the [questions we used for this analysis](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/11/RE_2025.11.24_Latinos-and-Trump-Policies_Questionnaire.pdf), the [topline](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/11/RE_2025.11.24_Latinos-and-Trump-Policies_TOPLINE.pdf) and the [survey methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/11/24/latinos-trump-policies-methodology/).*