Trump’s deportation drive unsettles some of his own voters

NEW YORK (MNTV) — President Donald Trump returned to office promising the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history, but new polling suggests its aggressive execution is unsettling not only Democrats and independents but part of his own coalition.

A Politico poll found 51 percent of Americans believe the campaign has become too aggressive, against 11 percent who say it is not aggressive enough — and nearly a quarter of Trump’s 2024 voters said it had gone too far. 

The unease is sharper among his less ideological supporters: 15 percent of voters who identify with the MAGA movement called enforcement too aggressive, rising to 31 percent among Trump voters who do not. 

The administration initially framed its agenda around removing violent criminals, but the campaign has since reached workplaces, courthouses, and neighborhoods, affecting immigrants with no serious record.

The polling shows little public appetite for expanding enforcement. 

A majority said ICE’s presence in American cities makes communities more dangerous, not safer, and 58 percent said ICE and Border Patrol receive too much funding or about the right amount, against just 22 percent favoring more.

Separately, an AP-NORC survey found approval of Trump’s immigration handling had fallen to 39 percent from 49 percent at the start of his term, while Gallup found 73 percent of Americans still see immigration as beneficial to the country.

The implications could matter most among Latino voters, where Trump gained ground in 2024; some who backed tougher border policy may distinguish it from interior enforcement affecting longtime residents and families. 

The question ahead of the midterms is whether Trump can sustain support for his signature promise without alienating the voters who endorsed stricter borders but may reject the broader consequences of mass deportation.