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By Andrew Stanton
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President Donald Trump is ramping up his immigration policy during his first week back in the White House, and Americans broadly support deporting migrants who are in the United States illegally and convicted of a crime, according to recent polls. But there are limits to their support.
Why It Matters
Trump's campaign promise of mass deportations may come to fruition over the coming weeks as immigrant communities prepare for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
Read More on Politics
Trump has argued that the deportations are needed to address the rise in migrants who have entered illegally from the U.S.-Mexico border over the past few years, pointing to issues like public safety and national security. Critics of the policy, however, say large-scale deportations would be inhumane, as well as have negative ramifications on the economy, arguing that U.S. citizens are unlikely to fill the jobs vacated by deported migrants.
Democrats' ability to rebuild trust with voters on immigration issues may be critical to their ability to stage a comeback in the 2026 midterms. Meanwhile, Trump must avoid going too far to alienate voters who are more moderate on border issues.
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What To Know
An AP-NORC poll, conducted from January 9 to 13 among 1,147 adults, found that 83 percent of Americans support deporting migrants living in the U.S. illegally who have been convicted of a violent crime, while only 6 percent would oppose doing so.
Americans are more split on deporting all undocumented migrants. The poll found that 43 percent support doing so, with 37 percent against.
Policies like family separation are less popular. Only 28 percent of Americans would support deporting undocumented immigrants who would be separated from their children who are citizens, while 55 percent are opposed.
The poll also found that most Americans believe there are a few places, like schools, hospitals and churches, where immigration officers should not make arrests.
An Axios/Ipsos poll, conducted from January 10 to 12 among 1,025 adults, similarly found lower support for family separation. Only 34 percent of respondents said they would support the policy. Thirty-four percent also backed deporting migrants who came to the U.S. as children, whether they entered legally or not.
A New York Times poll, conducted from January 2 to 10 among 2,128 adults, found that 63 percent of Americans support deporting undocumented migrants who entered the U.S. in the past four years, compared to 33 percent who would oppose the policy.
It also found 55 percent support deporting all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, while 42 percent oppose doing so.
However, it also found that 55 percent of Americans do not support efforts to end birthright citizenship, while 41 percent support those efforts.
Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, but it quickly garnered legal challenges, as many legal scholars believe the change would have to come through a constitutional amendment, rather than an executive order. A judge on Thursday blocked the order, which may end up in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email.
Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka wrote in a statement on Thursday that ICE agents raided a local establishment, detaining undocumented residents and citizens, without producing a warrant. In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson has launched a campaign to inform immigrants about their rights amid concerns the city could be targeted by ICE raids.
Trump Runs Risk Of Going Too Extreme, Experts Say
Costas Panagopoulos, professor of political science at Northeastern University, told Newsweek that Trump may "overstep" on immigration issues.
"If things start to spiral out of control and the press is inundated with stories of family separations and other ways it's affecting Americans who may support those policies now, it could conceivably change their minds or at least nuance their opinions. It could backfire on the president and Republicans," he said.
While the notion of illegal entry into the U.S. "doesn't sit well with most Americans," the issue is more nuanced when people consider not only the ethical dimensions of the issue, but the economic and social aspects of these migrants being "essential to many enterprises" in the U.S., Panagopoulos said.
Chris Zepeda-Millán, professor of public policy & Chicana/o Studies at University of California, Los Angeles, told Newsweek that immigration has become a more salient issue because of the GOP's emphasis on the issue, as well as economic factors.
"This issue tends to matter more depending on the economy," he said. "My guess is that inflation, with the way it is, people are in so tight. If economic inequality in the United States wasn't still growing, this would be less of a concern for most Americans."
Zepeda-Millán noted that there's "no way" Trump will actually deport 10 million people, and that his promises may be more symbolic to appeal to "right-wing nativist activists." Issues like family separation were "widely unpopular" during his first term and still are now, he said.
What People Are Saying
Chris Zepeda-Millán, professor of public policy & Chicana/o Studies at University of California, Los Angeles, told Newsweek: "This notion that Democrats are pro-open border has never been the case. I know the media will try to harp on certain activists, but but if you look at them, they have always been very supportive of border militarization."
Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, Tuesday on CNN: "ICE is, they're out there enforcing the law today. And of course, as I've said numerous times, they're focusing on public safety threats. That'll be our priority."
What Happens Next
The Associated Press reported on Friday that the Trump administration will be expanding its use of "expedited removal" to deport migrants across the U.S., despite concerns that the policy can be "prone to mistakes."
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