More than half of Americans - and 83% of Democrats - say ICE has gone ‘too far’ in arresting migrants: poll

More than half of Americans believe that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has gone “too far” in its pursuit of arresting migrants, according to a new poll.

While 54 percent said ICE has used its power too aggressively, the sentiment was even greater among Democrats at 83 percent, according to a poll by PBS News, NP and Marist.

Nearly half of Republicans, by contrast, said ICE’s actions are appropriate and an additional 31 percent said the agency had not gone far enough in enforcing President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

The vast majority of Americans (80 percent) support the U.S. government's deportation of migrants without permanent legal status who have been convicted of a violent crime.

Half of those currently in ICE custody have not been convicted or charged with any crime, ICE data shows. In fact, ICE is arresting more non-criminals than ever before, according to the latest data.

open image in gallery

Americans also overwhelmingly agree (82 percent) that a U.S. president should obey federal court rulings, even if the president does not like the ruling.

On how Trump is handling immigration as a whole, 43 percent of residents approve, while 52 percent disapprove. The poll follows a month of heightened tension over immigration as protests ignited in Los Angeles against ICE, and Trump called in the National Guard.

On Tuesday, the president toured a new Florida immigration detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” as the administration plows ahead with its agenda.

open image in gallery

A similar poll last week found that more Americans (64 percent) favor providing undocumented migrants a pathway to legal status over deportation, while 31 percent said they preferred deportation.

Respondents in the Quinnipiac University poll of registered voters were asked for their preference out of the two options “if [they] had to choose.”

Six months ago, the same poll found that 55 percent favored providing undocumented migrants with a pathway to legal status in the U.S.

The poll found that 56 percent of voters disapprove of how ICE is doing its job, while 39 percent said they approve.

The vast majority of Democrats disapprove (89 percent) while Republicans largely approve (77 percent).