The current U.S. immigration policy, which has defined much of the Trump administration’s five-month term, is not approved by a majority of Americans. According to the latest survey conducted by Pew Research, the Trump administration’s overall approach to immigration is viewed more negatively than positively, with 42% approving and 47% disapproving.
The mass expulsions of undocumented immigrants, which Trump wants to increase even further to achieve the largest deportation in history, are dividing citizens. Half of Americans say the administration’s immigration policies when it comes to deporting undocumented migrants are “too careless,” while 39% say they are “about right” and 9% say they are “too careful.”
Trump had announced a crusade against immigration during his campaign run, but the measures he has taken since January 20 have exceeded many expectations. The Republican’s rhetoric was that deportations would focus, at least initially, on undocumented immigrants who had committed crimes, but the reality has been very different.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in restaurants, factories, and other workplaces, or in courthouses where immigrants go to attend scheduled hearings, are disliked by the majority. Fifty-four percent disapprove of increasing raids in workplaces where people in the U.S. illegally may be working, compared to 45 percent who approve.
Pew notes that the survey was conducted among 5,044 citizens between June 2 and 8, before ICE launched its most aggressive raids in Los Angeles and other cities, triggering massive protests and the deployment of the National Guard and Marines to the California city. Researchers noted that the views expressed in the survey were “largely split along partisan lines, with Republicans broadly supportive and Democrats opposed.”
Hundreds of thousands of people critical of immigration policies and the use of force to quell protests took to the streets on Saturday, June 14th in demonstrations organized by the No Kings platform and other groups.
