There has been a national bipartisan backlash against overt signs of ICE / CBP behavior. Republicans continue by a large majority support the Trump administration’s deportation program. But even they are upset about the buccaneering style, and this has much to do with the videos of Pretti’s shooting.
To simplify, the administration eroded about 5% of its support in the country. The administration, in my opinion, will no longer deploy agents in mass on the streets of cities. They promote the spectacle aspects of enforcements. This post describes a brand new Quinnipiac Poll and a list of offensive deportation behavior.
The Quinnipiac poll
A February 4 Quinnipiac University national poll reveals widespread voter distrust of the Trump administration’s handling of immigration enforcement. 61% of registered voters say the administration has not given an honest account of the incident.
Republicans continue to support the President. Democrats (93%) and independents (65%) think the Trump administration has not given an honest account of the incident, but Republicans (60% think the Trump administration has given an honest account of the incident.
However, overwhelming majority of voters –80% –think there should be an independent investigation into the Pretti shooting, including 56% of Republicans, And, over 90% support mandatory body cameras for ICE agents (including 83% of Republicans).
The poll showed Trump’s support deteriorating on several fronts, such as the economy and foreign policy, but let’s focus on immigration: on Trump’s handling of immigration issues, 38% of voters approve, down from Quinnipiac December 17, 2025 poll when 44% approved.
The polling was performed January 29 – February 2. Renee Good was killed on January 7 by an ICE officer and Alex Pretti on January 24 by two CBP officers.
The Pretti shooting – 78% of respondents, including 74% of Republicans, have seen a video of the shooting.
Quinnioipiac Poll 2 4 26
Reforming ICE/CBP behavior
Darrett Graff puts his finger on what upsets people about ICE/CBP. In a Substack post he identified the needed reforms (summarized):
1) Basic Uniform and Identification Standards
ICE and CBP officers must wear standardized civilian law enforcement uniforms with clear federal identification, not military camouflage or masks
2) Use of Force
Strict restrictions needed on chemical agents and less-lethal munitions, which are deployed too casually. Remove ICE/CBP from crowd control operations.
3) Enforcement Standards and Restrictions
Redefine Border Patrol’s “100-mile rule” to reasonable distances from actual borders. Restore “sensitive locations” protections for schools, churches, hospitals. Require judicial warrants for forced entry. Make officers personally liable for wrongfully detaining U.S. citizens. Eliminate arrest quotas and bonuses.
4) Hiring Standards and Training
Mandate that ICE/CBP meet the same hiring and training standards as other federal law enforcement agencies. DHS is cutting training while expanding operations, creating “a roving paramilitary force” rather than professional civilian law enforcement.
5) Technology Limits
Establish boundaries around DHS surveillance technology, particularly “Mobile Fortify” facial recognition app (claimed as “definitive” legal status source) and Palantir’s “ELITE” targeting application. These tools create mass surveillance infrastructure.
6) Detention Facilities
ICE plans doubling capacity to 107,000 beds with minimal judge increases, revealing no due process intent. Codify congressional on-demand facility access.