Trump's Immigration Approval Plummets to Record Low in Second Term
A new nationwide poll has revealed that public approval for President Donald Trump's immigration policy has reached its lowest point since his return to the White House. The Reuters/Ipsos survey indicates a significant decline in support, with a majority of Americans now believing his stringent approach has gone too far.
Sharp Decline in Approval Ratings
Just 39 percent of Americans now approve of Trump's handling of immigration, marking a two-point drop from earlier this month. Meanwhile, 53 percent disapprove of his approach. This represents a substantial decline from February, shortly after his January inauguration, when 50 percent approved and 41 percent disapproved. Immigration was once considered a stronger area for his popularity, but these latest figures suggest a dramatic shift in public sentiment.
Trump's overall approval rating has also fallen to 38 percent, matching the lowest level of his current term. This is down from 41 percent in the prior Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on January 12-13.
Public Perception of ICE Crackdown
The poll findings come amid heightened tensions surrounding immigration enforcement. Some 58 percent of respondents said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have gone too far in their crackdown. Only 12 percent said they had not gone far enough, while 26 percent said the agents' efforts were about right.
The survey revealed stark partisan divides. About nine in ten Democrats said the agents have gone too far, compared to just two in ten Republicans. Among independents, six in ten expressed the view that ICE has exceeded appropriate boundaries.
Poll Methodology and Context
The nationwide survey was conducted online between Friday and Sunday, gathering responses from 1,139 U.S. adults. It has a margin of error of about 3 percentage points. The polling period included both before and after immigration officers killed a second U.S. citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday. This incident occurred during confrontations with protesters over Trump's deployment of immigration agents to cities across the country.
The combination of these events and the polling data suggests growing public concern about the direction and implementation of current immigration policies. As the administration continues its enforcement efforts, these approval ratings indicate potential challenges ahead for maintaining public support on this contentious issue.
