Poll shows rising concern over ICE tactics as GOP criticizes protester response
WASHINGTON, DC: A new CBS News poll indicated a shift in how Americans viewed immigration enforcement and recent protests tied to federal deportation operations.
More respondents said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was being too tough when stopping and detaining people, while Republicans largely believed protesters had gone too far.
The findings came amid continued demonstrations in Minneapolis and heightened scrutiny of President Donald Trump’s deportation program. The poll also captured broader public unease about potential US military actions overseas.
Shifting views on ICE enforcement and deportation program
According to the CBS News poll, Americans were increasingly likely to say ICE operations were overly aggressive and that the Trump administration’s deportation program was targeting more people than just dangerous criminals.
The poll found that a growing share of the public believed that the administration was not prioritizing dangerous individuals and was attempting to deport more people than initially expected.
The survey also highlighted a distinction many respondents drew between the goals of the deportation program and how it was being implemented.
More people said that they approved of what they believed the program’s objectives were than of the approach being taken to carry them out.
A slight majority of Americans now said that ICE operations were making communities where enforcement occurred less safe, compared with fewer respondents who said that such actions improved safety.
President Trump’s approval rating on immigration is also at its lowest during his second term, though it remains higher than his approval rating on economic issues such as inflation.
Views on the shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis were sharply divided along party lines, with Republicans more likely to say the shooting was justified, while Democrats and independents largely disagreed.
When asked what should happen next, Democrats said that recent events indicated ICE operations should be reduced. However, Republicans said enforcement should either be increased or remain unchanged, reflecting long-standing partisan positions.
Minneapolis protests and US power abroad
Amid continued protests in Minneapolis, about 1,500 active-duty soldiers are on standby for possible deployment, a US defense official told CBS News.
The soldiers, from the 11th Airborne Division based at Fort Wainwright in Alaska, are one of several options under consideration if President Trump chooses to deploy active-duty forces. No decision has been made.
Protests have taken place daily since the Department of Homeland Security increased immigration enforcement in Minneapolis and St Paul, bringing in more than 2,000 federal officers.
The CBS News poll also measured views on potential US military actions abroad, finding broad opposition to using force in Greenland or Iran.
While most Americans said that the US had strategic interests in Iran, they were divided on moral responsibilities there, and two-thirds believed military involvement would be long and costly.
