Although Donald Trump’s victory in the last presidential election was partly linked to his promises to tighten immigration policies, the actual implementation of those pledges—and his administration’s escalation of immigration enforcement—has led to developments that are now reshaping U.S. public opinion.
A recent Pew Research Center survey reveals that the American public mood toward Trump’s immigration policies has begun to shift.
Public Opinion Turns More Critical
According to the poll, 53% of Americans say the Trump administration is going too far in deporting immigrants living in the United States illegally, compared with 44% who held that view in March—marking a notable increase over a short period.
The findings show that Americans view the administration’s approach to immigration more negatively than positively, with 53% saying it goes much too far in deportation efforts.
At the same time, a large majority still believe that at least some undocumented immigrants should be deported. Overall, 50% of adults oppose Trump’s immigration approach, including 36% who strongly oppose it. By contrast, a smaller share (39%) support the approach, including 24% who strongly support it.
How the Shift Happened
Across party lines and racial and ethnic groups, more Americans now say the Trump administration is going too far with deportations. Among Democrats and Democratic leaners, 86% hold this view—an increase of 11 percentage points since March. Among Republicans and Republican leaners, 20% say the same, up 7 points.
Latino Republicans are far more likely than white Republicans to say the administration is going too far, with 47% of Hispanic Republicans holding this view compared with just 13% of white Republicans.
Divisions Over Deportation
Republicans and Democrats differ sharply on whether—and how many—undocumented immigrants should be deported.
Among Republicans, 56% support deporting all undocumented immigrants, while 39% favor deporting some. Only 4% say none should be deported.
Among Democrats, 62% say some undocumented immigrants should be deported, 30% say none should be deported, and just 8% support deporting all.
Significant racial and ethnic differences exist within both coalitions, particularly among Republicans. White Republicans (63%) are far more likely than Hispanic (28%) and Asian (38%) Republicans to support deporting all undocumented immigrants.
There is less variation among Democrats, with half or more of white, Black, Latino, and Asian Democrats saying that some undocumented immigrants should be deported.
Growing Concerns
The survey also found rising concern about deportations, especially among Democrats and Latinos. In March, 19% of U.S. adults said they were very or somewhat concerned that they—or a family member or close friend—could be deported. By October, that figure had risen to 26%.
Democrats remain far more likely than Republicans to express this concern (41% vs. 10%).
While concern has increased across most racial and ethnic groups, it remains highest among Latinos. About 52% say they are worried that someone close to them could be deported, up from 42% in March.
Nearly six in ten Latinos (59%) say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has carried out arrests or raids in their area in recent months—higher than the shares among Asian (47%), Black (39%), and white (38%) adults.
Latino Anxiety Cuts Across Party Lines
Latinos in both political parties express greater concern than other groups about the personal impact of deportations.
For example, 35% of Hispanic Republicans say they are very or somewhat concerned about the deportation of someone close to them—far higher than white Republicans (5%) and nearly double the share of Asian Republicans (16%).
Among Democrats, 64% of Hispanic Democrats say they are very or somewhat concerned about how deportations could affect them, compared with 33% of white Democrats, 35% of Black Democrats, and 37% of Asian Democrats.
These findings suggest that Americans do not want chaos at the border—but they also do not want harsh, blanket policies applied to all immigrants without distinction. Instead, the public appears to favor a balanced approach that combines tougher enforcement against dangerous criminals with expanded legal and humanitarian pathways for immigration and work.