Trump’s immigration approval drops to record low, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
By Jason Lange
WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) – American approval of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies fell to its lowest level since his return to the White House in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, with a majority of Americans saying Trump’s crackdown on immigrants has gone too far.
The nationwide survey, conducted from Friday to Sunday, collected pre- and post-migration responses; On Saturday, police officers killed a second US citizen in Minneapolis during clashes with protesters after Trump sent immigration agents to cities across the US.
In the poll, only 39 percent of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing on immigration, down from 41 percent earlier this month to 53 percent. Immigration was a brighter spot for Trump’s popularity in the weeks following his inauguration in January. In February, 50% approved and 41% disapproved.
Trump won the 2024 presidential election after promising a historic increase in deportations. Masked immigration officers, often wearing tactical military-style gear, have become a common sight across the country, and protests against the crackdown have broken out in several cities, including Minneapolis, where immigration officers responded with deadly force.
Trump administration officials accused Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, of assaulting officers during a protest in Minneapolis before an agent shot her to death, but that account appears to be contradicted by videos recorded by bystanders. Weeks ago, an immigration officer in Minneapolis shot and killed another US citizen, 37-year-old Renee Good, during an immigration raid.
MOST SAY THE ICE IS TOO FAR
About 58 percent of survey respondents said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials went “too far” in cracking down, while 12 percent said they did not go far enough and 26 percent said agents’ efforts were “about right.” About nine in 10 Democrats, two in 10 Republicans and six in 10 independents said the agents went too far.
Viral videos of the shootings caused unrest among Republican lawmakers; Many of them are facing voter ire over rising prices ahead of midterm elections in November that will see control of Congress and most state governorships.
Chris Madel, a leading Republican candidate in the Minnesota governor’s race, withdrew his bid Monday, saying the pressure had gone too far and made the race unwinnable for a Republican.
Trump blamed Democrats for the shooting deaths but appeared less confrontational on Monday, saying he was “on a similar wavelength” with Minnesota’s Democratic governor. Trump said he and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had a “very good conversation.”
GENERAL RATING CONNECTIONS PERIOD LOW
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump’s overall approval rating falling to 38%; This rate is the lowest in its current period, down from 41% in the previous Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted on January 12-13.
While Trump’s ratings have fallen, he continues to do much better on immigration than his predecessor, former Democratic President Joe Biden. Americans also continue to trust Trump’s Republican Party more on this issue; 37% of respondents to the latest poll say Republicans have a better approach to immigration, while 32% prefer Democrats. The rest said they were unsure or that neither side was better.
The latest nationwide survey, conducted online, collected responses from 1,139 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.
(Reporting by Jason Lange; editing by Scott Malone and Aurora Ellis)
