Poll: Americans divided on Trump’s deportation, immigration policies

By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

Americans are divided on President Donald Trump’s deportation and immigration policies, according to a new poll.

The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll found that 46% of registered voters think Trump’s immigration and deportation policies are “too harsh” compared to 39% who said it is “about right.” About 9% of registered voters said the administration’s policies are “too soft” and 7% of voters were unsure.

Combined, the 39% who say they’re “about right” and the 9% who say they’re “too soft” – 48% – surpass the 46% who say they are too harsh.

The same poll found that about 25% of registered voters ranked illegal immigration among the top three issues of which they are concerned.

The Center Square Voters’ Voice poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, surveyed 2,565 registered voters between Oct. 2-6. The poll included 978 Republicans, 948 Democrats and 639 Independents, of which 262 lean toward neither major party.

A majority of Republican voters, at 66%, said Trump’s deportation policies were “about right” compared to only 13% of Democrats who said the same, showing steep partisan divides. About 48% of independent voters surveyed said Trump’s deportation measures were too harsh.

Mike Noble, founder and CEO of Noble Predictive Insights, said Trump’s efforts are generally popular among his political base but that support tends to taper off in other categories.

“When you look at his strategies, A, they’re controversial, but, B, it does great for his base,” Noble said.

The poll revealed stark divides along racial and ethnic lines in response to Trump’s immigration and deportation policies.

About 68% of Hispanic or Latino voters said Trump’s immigration policies have been too harsh and 58% of Black respondents said the same. This is compared to 38% of white respondents who believe the Trump administration’s immigration policies are too harsh.

Noble said Trump’s immigration policies appear to have alienated certain ethnic and racial groups, which helped deliver his election victory in 2024.

“He does win over certain groups but also he does push away a lot of other groups that, frankly, they may need for the upcoming midterm election,” Noble said.

The new poll data follows The Center Square’s Voters’ Voice Poll in April that found a plurality of Americans said immigration policies improved under Trump.

In April, about 47% of voters surveyed said federal policy on border security and immigration has “gotten better” compared to 32% who said it has “gotten worse.”

Trump campaigned on implementing strong immigration enforcement and leading the charge to engage in mass deportations. Trump’s immigration policy has been met with resistance in the form of protests, and violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

Noble said the shift in public opinion over Trump’s immigration policies may be partly due to the success he has seen in carrying out deportations. The Trump administration has claimed that two million immigrants left the country either voluntarily or through deportation.

“What happens in politics once you do well and do good at something, it becomes less of a concern,” Noble said. “It’s wild.”