Washington, January 19 – More Americans today believe that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency acts too harshly and that President Donald Trump’s deportation program is not only targeted at dangerous criminals.
According to recent surveys, following the killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman and mother of three, by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, and then another shooting involving a federal officer from the same agency who wounded a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg in the same city, overall support for the deportation program has declined.
Perceptions are changing about who the targets of the deportation program are because more and more people here believe that the administration does not prioritize dangerous criminals and that now anyone can fall under ICE’s hands.
Overall, a slight majority believes ICE is making the communities where it operates less safe — significantly more than those who believe otherwise.
Trump’s deportation plan at the start of his second term originally had approval, but opinions have become more divided, and after the tragedy in Minneapolis, the approval rating on this front fell to its lowest level in the past 12 months.
A year later, few in the United States feel that Trump’s policies benefited them; in fact, more people believe that their conditions are not the same but worse rather than better.
Concern, dissatisfaction, and fatigue are some of the factors dominating the CBS News/YouGov analysis published this Sunday, which shows that 59 percent disapprove of the Republican president’s management.
Nonetheless, Trump maintains solid approval over the past year among his Republican base (especially MAGA supporters), but at the same time experienced declines in segments like independents and young people.
Tomorrow, January 20, marks the first anniversary of Trump’s return to the Oval Office after defeating his Democratic rival, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, in the November 2024 election. The Republicans also managed to prevail in Congress, controlling both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
