Americans' views on immigration take a massive positive swing amid Trump's crackdown
The share of Americans who thought immigration should decrease – 55% – reached a 5-year high point in 2024. This year, it has dropped to 30%, and positive views of immigration have hit a record high of 79%, according to poll results released July 11. The poll surveyed 1,402 Americans between June 2 and 26.
The Trump administration ramped up its promise to carry out widespread deportations in June, sending out masked immigration agents to raid restaurants, farms and hardware stores and touching off widespread protests. He has unveiled a new "Alligator Alcatraz" detention facility for migrants in the Florida Everglades. The administration has faced legal challenges at every turn, bringing it several times to the brink of clashes with judges who have imposed barriers on the scale and tactics of the crackdown.
During former President Joe Biden's administration, Americans' views on immigration took a dip amid a surge of migration and reports of disarray on the southern border.
But this year, even among Republicans, views on immigration have grown significantly rosier – 64% of Republicans now believe immigration is a good thing, a 25-point jump from June of 2024. The fraction of Republicans who think immigration should decrease has fallen from 88% to 48% in that time span.
Trump's immigration policies are broadly unpopular, with just 35% disapproving of his handling of the issue, according to the poll.
The Trump administration faced heavy pushback over its immigration policies in March when it deported hundreds of men to a brutal prison in El Salvador – even though most were Venezuelan. It was forced to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man from El Salvador who a judge ordered could remain in the U.S., amid an ongoing legal battle.
The Supreme Court has since given the Trump administration the green light to deport people to countries from which they do not originate.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Americans' views on immigration hit a high point amid Trump crackdown
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