Trump's immigration approval ratings sink to new lows
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Protesters denounce the ongoing immigration enforcement raids and deportations during a demonstration on June 10 in Washington, DC. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
President Trump's approval rating on immigration plummeted to a new low since his White House return, according to a new poll.
Why it matters: Curtailing illegal immigration was the backbone of Trump's reelection campaign, but his ratings have cratered across several recent polls as Americans confront the reality of his mass deportation push.
- Trump's crackdown sparked nationwide protests and pervasive humanitarian and legal concerns.
- A clash between protesters and federal agents during an immigration raid at a Southern California farm is one of the most recent symbols of discontent in a state that's central to Trump's efforts.
- Meanwhile, illegal border crossings have plummeted.
Driving the news: Trump's approval on immigration fell to 41% in an Ipsos-Reuters poll that closed Wednesday. Fifty-one percent disapproved in the poll.
- In May 16 to 18 polling by Reuters-Ipsos, 47% of Americans approved of Trump's immigration policies, a number that has gradually declined.
Zoom in: In the Reuters-Ipsos poll of 1,027 U.S. adults, 54% disagreed with the statement "immigration arrests at places of work are good for the country," while 28% were in support. Another 18% were unsure or did not answer.
- There was a clear partisan divide on the issue, with 56% of Republicans backing the statement compared to just 7% of Democrats.
Case in point: The Department of Homeland Security on Monday announced federal officers had arrested more than 360 people at two Southern California marijuana farms.
- Last month, Trump indicated his administration would pause raids hurting the agriculture and hospitality industries, but quickly reversed, Axios' Marc Caputo and Russel Contreras reported.
What they're saying: White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement to Axios that Trump's "immigration agenda is hugely popular and has recently received large amounts of bipartisan support," pointing to a recently Harvard CAPS/Harris poll that found that 60% of respondents support the administration's efforts to close the southern border.
- The poll also found that 75% support the administration's efforts to deport criminals who are here illegally. But it also found that 59% said more due process is needed to prevent unfair deportations.
Zoom out: A Gallup poll conducted June 2-26 of 1,402 U.S. adults found that many more Americans disapproved than approved of Trump's handling in immigration.
- Thirty-five percent approved of his handling of the issue, compared to 62% who disapproved.
- But there is a sharp partisan divide: 85% of Republicans approve of Trump's handling of immigration, compared with 28% of independents and just 2% of Democrats.
- In February, 46% approved of his handling of immigration, per Gallup polling.
In Quinnipiac University polling released Wednesday, 40% of voters approved of Trump's handling of immigration, while 55% disapproved.
- And an NPR-PBS News-Marist College poll from late last month showed 43% of adults overall approved of Trump's handling on immigration, while 52% disapproved.
- That poll found that 54% overall — and 59% of independents — thought Immigration and Customs Enforcement had gone too far in enforcing immigration laws.
- In the Reuters poll, 42% said they opposed immigration officers wearing masks, compared to 38% in support. Seventy percent of Republicans supported masked officers, but only 15% of Democrats agreed.
Go deeper: Trump's new wall: His push to oust immigrants legally in the U.S.
Editor's note: This story. has been updated with comment from the White House.
