The president's aggressive enforcement tactics face growing resistance as his administration approaches its 100-day mark. (AP File)
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President Trump’s once-strong approval ratings on immigration have shifted into negative territory, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. The survey shows 53% of Americans now disapprove of his handling of immigration, while 46% approve — a reversal from February when half of the public supported his approach.
Growing Dissatisfaction Across Party Lines
The poll indicates growing dissatisfaction across partisan lines, with disapproval reaching 90% among Democrats, 56% among independents, and 11% among Republicans. This decline comes as the administration implements increasingly aggressive enforcement tactics approaching the 100-day mark of Trump’s second term.
“Immigration is a really complicated and very difficult topic and situation, but not following the due process laws that are in place is not a way to fix the problem,” said Ray King, a Nebraska machinist who identifies as a moderate Democrat.
Controversial Enforcement Actions
Recent controversial actions include the deportation of 238 migrants to a megaprison in El Salvador without legal due process and targeting international students and faculty at U.S. colleges for removal. The administration has also resisted court orders to return Kilmar Abrego García from El Salvador despite acknowledging he was wrongly deported.
The poll found 42% of Americans believe Abrego García should be returned to the U.S., while 26% think he should remain imprisoned. About 30% indicated they “don’t know enough” to form an opinion.
Related Story: US Warns States They Could Lose Transportation Funding Over Immigration, DEI Policies
Public Opinion on Specific Policies
Partisan divides are evident in responses to specific policies. Regarding deportation of alleged criminal group members without court hearings, 85% of Democrats oppose the practice while 82% of Republicans support it. Similarly, about 60% of Americans oppose deporting international students who have criticized U.S. Middle East policy, though 70% of Republicans support such measures.
Nearly half of respondents (48%) believe Trump has gone “too far” with immigration enforcement, while 34% say his approach is “about right” and 16% say he hasn’t gone far enough.
The poll was conducted online April 18-22 among 2,464 U.S. adults with a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.
Read more at The Washington Post.
