June 6 marks the start of ICE’s very visible large-scale mass deportation campaign, starting in California.  It appears that the campaign, which was since interrupted (or maybe not) by the White House, pushed the public towards disapproval of the administration’s deportation policy.  Pew Research polled the public between June 2 and June 8, so it does not show the full effect of the large scale campaign, which has been visible to the public (for example, here).

That said, the poll results show a something that is an emerging pattern: a slim majority (two polls, here) has in the recent past agreed in the abstract to support Trump’s immigration policy, but when faced with the facts of administration action, a majority opposes it. Overall disapproval has already increased and will most likely increase more. However, there remains solid support among Republicans. And, polling has shown, in the 2010s, a majority concerned about the overall impact on immigration on America.

Overall disapproval is more in this poll than in other recent polls: with 42% approving and 47% disapproving. People are split (50% approve, 49% disapprove) over the use of state and local law enforcement in deportation efforts. 60% of Americans disapprove of the suspension of most asylum applications (39% approve). 54% disapprove of increasing ICE raids on workplaces where people who are in the U.S. illegally.

And 78% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents approve of the administration’s approach to immigration, including 51% who strongly approve.  81% of Democrats and Democratic leaners disapprove, with 63% strongly disapproving. Just 9% approve.

A Fox News poll on June 13 – 16 shows that only 46% of the public approve of Trump’s performance in immigration, and 53% say that the administration has gone to far in enforcing immigration laws. An equal share (39% – 39%) say that the country is safer or less safe due to the administrative actions.

Broad historical context

The underlying issue is how people value immigration as a whole. Gallup polls in 2003, 2013 and 2023 show that the gap between Democrats and Republicans on whether immigration is good for the country widened sharply in the past ten years and even more so in the past five years. There has been for some time an increase in concern that the American way of life has been compromised by immigration. (Go here, here and here).