In response to public backlash over the deaths of two Americans caused by federal officials in Minneapolis, the White House has adjusted its immigration strategy by changing leadership and softening its tone. However, three months later, President Donald Trump’s deportation efforts are still viewed negatively by many Americans.
The latest POLITICO Poll reveals that public opinion on Trump’s mass deportation campaign has remained largely unchanged, despite the national focus shifting to issues like the economy and the conflict in Iran. This suggests the administration faces significant challenges in altering the immigration narrative.
Conducted from April 11 to April 14, the poll indicates that half of Americans, including a quarter of Trump’s 2024 supporters, believe the mass deportation efforts and widespread use of ICE agents are overly aggressive. About 25% feel his immigration policies are appropriate, while 11% think they aren’t strict enough.
These findings serve as a cautionary note for the Trump administration and the GOP, as they seek to regain control over immigration issues before the midterm elections.
The previously strong position Republicans and Trump held over Democrats on immigration is now at risk, weakened by the president’s strict enforcement measures, crackdowns far from the southern border, and images of federal agents detaining children.
This political vulnerability is particularly pronounced among Hispanic voters, a key group that supported Republicans in the 2024 elections.
Although Trump captured 46% of the Latino vote—the highest percentage for a GOP presidential candidate in recent history—a majority of Latino voters currently disapprove of his handling of immigration (67%) and the economy (66%), according to a recent poll by Third Way and UnidosUS.
“The decline in Latino voter support for Trump is quite remarkable,” said Lanae Erickson, senior vice president at Third Way. “We knew there was some softening, but the erosion of any gains made through 2024 is significant.”
The April POLITICO Poll also shows widespread dissatisfaction, with 37% of Americans opposing Trump’s deportation campaign and its execution—figures that have remained stable since January, despite public scrutiny and confrontations between protesters and federal officials.
A majority still view the increased ICE presence negatively, with 51% believing it makes cities more dangerous, consistent with the 52% who felt the same in January. This is despite the administration ending its immigration surge in Minneapolis and avoiding high-profile ICE deployments elsewhere.
The administration’s efforts to modify its approach following backlash to the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renée Good in Minnesota have not improved public sentiment. Trump recently replaced Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma, and officials have moved away from prominent raids while tempering “mass deportations” in public rhetoric.
White House officials have shifted focus to arrests, public safety, and the president’s success in securing the southern border, aiming to reinforce why voters have historically favored the GOP on immigration. This change occurs amid ongoing debates over immigration enforcement funding, with Republicans seeking to allocate more funds to ICE and Border Patrol through budget reconciliation after policy negotiations with Democrats stalled.
The White House asserts its strategy is effective. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated that the president was elected to “secure the border and deport criminal illegal aliens,” and has accomplished both.
“The completely secure border has resulted in zero illegal alien releases for 11 consecutive months, and the administration remains focused on removing the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens to protect American communities,” Jackson said. “These sensible policies have widespread support among Americans.”
However, while polling presents challenges, Trump’s base remains supportive. Two-thirds of those who voted for Trump in 2024 believe his deportation campaign is either appropriate or not aggressive enough—levels of support much higher than among those who voted for Kamala Harris or abstained.
There are further distinctions between Trump 2024 voters who identify as ‘MAGA’ and those who do not. A strong majority of MAGA Trump supporters—82%—deem his deportation efforts either adequate or insufficiently tough, compared to 58% of non-MAGA Trump supporters.
This shift in the White House’s immigration messaging has already faced criticism from some Trump allies. The Mass Deportation Coalition, comprised of former Trump administration officials and immigration restrictionist groups, released a white paper urging the administration to achieve 1 million removals this year. The group recently spent a substantial amount on ads promoting their cause in Washington.
“Mass deportation is widely supported by Trump voters and everyday Americans,” said Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project, which commissioned polling suggesting deportations are popular among U.S. voters. “We believe that by continuing to highlight that deportations aren’t happening at the desired level, we can eventually succeed.”
Simultaneously, the crackdown is impacting Latino voters essential to Trump’s 2024 coalition. In South Texas, the construction industry faces labor shortages as workers are deported or fear being deported. Across the heartland, farmers starting planting season worry about insufficient labor. In urban areas, businesses in Latino-heavy neighborhoods have experienced a decline in sales, as people are scared to shop or eat out.
The decline was particularly severe in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge, prompting the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to launch GoFundMe campaigns for struggling small businesses, said Ramiro Cavazos, president and CEO of the USHCC. Some businesses closed after sales dropped by 70%, he noted.
“It’s challenging to recover from lost sales, and there’s no support for repair or recovery due to fears,” Cavazos said. “Customers have stopped visiting their usual spots, fearing illegal detention, even if they are legally present.”
Irayda Flores, a seafood wholesaler in Arizona, estimated that 80 to 90 percent of Hispanic-owned small businesses have been adversely affected by immigration enforcement, either due to labor issues or declining sales.
“I didn’t expect these outcomes from the Republican side, considering this new administration,” Flores said.
Decreasing support among Hispanic voters presents an opportunity for Democrats in the upcoming midterms, according to Clarissa Martinez De Castro, vice president at UnidosUS. “The president and his party are erasing the support they previously gained from Latino voters,” she said. “In World Cup terms, [Republicans] are scoring an own goal. We’ll see how the opposing team responds.”
