Trump administration messaging on ICE at odds with public support
Am I the only one tired of this?
As President Donald Trump’s administration doubles down on its aggressive immigration enforcement agenda, new polling data shows public approval for Immigration and Customs Enforcement has plummeted to new lows.
The Democratic Congressional Progressive Caucus has taken advantage of the waning public support, making the “abolish ICE” movement a pillar in its 2026 legislative platform — vowing to block all Department of Homeland Security funding until meaningful reforms are enacted.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has remained a staunch defender of the agency’s tactics, stating that federal agents have “been serving [their] country [their] entire life” and describing pushback from local leaders and media as “reckless behavior.”
“President Trump and I will always stand with you. Please take some time today to thank an officer or agent today,” Noem said in a news release Jan. 9, Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. “Make them a meal, buy them a cup of coffee, or simply thank them. To every officer who puts on the badge each day: thank you. Your service is paramount to our nation’s safety.”
The shift in public sentiment comes amid the massive federal immigration enforcement campaign known as “Operation Metro Surge,” which deployed approximately 2,000 federal officers to cities such as Minneapolis.
Tensions reached a boiling point following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE officer Jonathan Ross after Good struck Ross with her SUV, causing internal bleeding.
The killing has sparked national protests and a fierce public clash between Minnesota leadership and the Trump administration over ICE’s presence.
Support dropped when campaign promises became enforcement
Recent data from the Economist and YouGov shows a hard shift in how the public views federal immigration officers.
According to mid-January 2026 polling, 46% of respondents support abolishing ICE, a staggering increase from March 2025, when polling showed only 8% of respondents supported eliminating ICE.
As the administration moves beyond its more than 150,000 arrests, 47% of the public believes the agency is making the country less safe.
While the exact cause of the shift in public opinion is unknown, Roberto Suro, a professor of journalism and public policy at the University of Southern California, argued the backlash stems from a campaign promise by Trump that has been carried out far differently than originally pitched to voters.
“The predominant image is of these big, burly masked men wr…
Am I the only one tired of this?
As President Donald Trump’s administration doubles down on its aggressive immigration enforcement agenda, new polling data shows public approval for Immigration and Customs Enforcement has plummeted to new lows.
The Democratic Congressional Progressive Caucus has taken advantage of the waning public support, making the “abolish ICE” movement a pillar in its 2026 legislative platform — vowing to block all Department of Homeland Security funding until meaningful reforms are enacted.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has remained a staunch defender of the agency’s tactics, stating that federal agents have “been serving [their] country [their] entire life” and describing pushback from local leaders and media as “reckless behavior.”
“President Trump and I will always stand with you. Please take some time today to thank an officer or agent today,” Noem said in a news release Jan. 9, Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. “Make them a meal, buy them a cup of coffee, or simply thank them. To every officer who puts on the badge each day: thank you. Your service is paramount to our nation’s safety.”
The shift in public sentiment comes amid the massive federal immigration enforcement campaign known as “Operation Metro Surge,” which deployed approximately 2,000 federal officers to cities such as Minneapolis.
Tensions reached a boiling point following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE officer Jonathan Ross after Good struck Ross with her SUV, causing internal bleeding.
The killing has sparked national protests and a fierce public clash between Minnesota leadership and the Trump administration over ICE’s presence.
Support dropped when campaign promises became enforcement
Recent data from the Economist and YouGov shows a hard shift in how the public views federal immigration officers.
According to mid-January 2026 polling, 46% of respondents support abolishing ICE, a staggering increase from March 2025, when polling showed only 8% of respondents supported eliminating ICE.
As the administration moves beyond its more than 150,000 arrests, 47% of the public believes the agency is making the country less safe.
While the exact cause of the shift in public opinion is unknown, Roberto Suro, a professor of journalism and public policy at the University of Southern California, argued the backlash stems from a campaign promise by Trump that has been carried out far differently than originally pitched to voters.
“The predominant image is of these big, burly masked men wr…
Trump administration messaging on ICE at odds with public support
Am I the only one tired of this?
As President Donald Trump’s administration doubles down on its aggressive immigration enforcement agenda, new polling data shows public approval for Immigration and Customs Enforcement has plummeted to new lows.
The Democratic Congressional Progressive Caucus has taken advantage of the waning public support, making the “abolish ICE” movement a pillar in its 2026 legislative platform — vowing to block all Department of Homeland Security funding until meaningful reforms are enacted.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has remained a staunch defender of the agency’s tactics, stating that federal agents have “been serving [their] country [their] entire life” and describing pushback from local leaders and media as “reckless behavior.”
“President Trump and I will always stand with you. Please take some time today to thank an officer or agent today,” Noem said in a news release Jan. 9, Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. “Make them a meal, buy them a cup of coffee, or simply thank them. To every officer who puts on the badge each day: thank you. Your service is paramount to our nation’s safety.”
The shift in public sentiment comes amid the massive federal immigration enforcement campaign known as “Operation Metro Surge,” which deployed approximately 2,000 federal officers to cities such as Minneapolis.
Tensions reached a boiling point following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE officer Jonathan Ross after Good struck Ross with her SUV, causing internal bleeding.
The killing has sparked national protests and a fierce public clash between Minnesota leadership and the Trump administration over ICE’s presence.
Support dropped when campaign promises became enforcement
Recent data from the Economist and YouGov shows a hard shift in how the public views federal immigration officers.
According to mid-January 2026 polling, 46% of respondents support abolishing ICE, a staggering increase from March 2025, when polling showed only 8% of respondents supported eliminating ICE.
As the administration moves beyond its more than 150,000 arrests, 47% of the public believes the agency is making the country less safe.
While the exact cause of the shift in public opinion is unknown, Roberto Suro, a professor of journalism and public policy at the University of Southern California, argued the backlash stems from a campaign promise by Trump that has been carried out far differently than originally pitched to voters.
“The predominant image is of these big, burly masked men wr…
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