Americans Run Away from Trump and Republicans on Immigration
Americans are running away from Donald Trump and Republicans on the issue of immigration in a huge reversal of a four year trend.
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As armed, masked ICE agents violently snatch people off the streets without due process and disappear them to detention centers, Americans are running away from Donald Trump and Republicans on the issue of immigration in a huge reversal of a four year trend.
A new Gallup poll found huge changes in Americans’ feelings about immigration since Trump took office:
30% of Americans want immigration decreased, down from 55% a year ago
Record-high 79% consider immigration good for the country
Support down for border wall, mass deportation
Gallup notes that this is a reversal of “a four-year trend of rising concern about immigration that began in 2021 and reflect changes among all major party groups.”
A majority disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration, with 35% approving of his handling of the issue, including 21% strongly approving, while 62% disapprove, including 45% strongly.
These views are sharply partisan: 85% of Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of immigration, compared with 28% of independents and just 2% of Democrats. Notably, 81% of Democrats strongly disapprove, while 59% of Republicans strongly approve. Independents are much more likely to strongly disapprove (45%) than to strongly approve (14%).
More Americans now favor a pathway to citizenship, and fewer support the cruel border enforcement measures on display currently, with 79% saying immigration is a good thing. This is an increase from 64% a year ago, which Gallup says represents “a reversal of the downward trend seen in this view from 2021 to 2024.”
Gallup highlights the desire for less immigration falling among all parties, “but it is most pronounced among Republicans, down 40 percentage points over the past year to 48%. Among independents, this sentiment is down 21 points to 30%, and among Democrats, down 12 points to 16%.”
In other words, everyone has less desire to see less immigration. People are not as concerned about immigration as they have been for the last four years, but the biggest change is seen among Republicans.
“The recent jump in perceptions of immigration being a good thing is largely owed to a sharp increase among Republicans and, to a lesser extent, independents. These groups’ views have essentially rebounded to 2020 levels after souring in the intervening years.”
Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of immigration, but have less of a desire to see a decrease in immigration than they did previously. That’s a fine needle to thread that seems to land on ‘everything Trump does is good, but we don’t want to talk about this issue anymore.’
If you spend any time talking to Trump supporters, that will sound very familiar.
The bottom line for Republicans is Donald Trump’s immigration policy is not gaining support among any group, and is a loser with Independents and Democrats. Republicans are now saddled with explaining the huge increase in funding they gave to ICE in the Betrayal Bill, which will increase exponentially the militant perpetration of violence upon people and cities that Trump doesn’t like.
The AP noted the decrease in support for the type of mass deportations Trump is pushing could complicate his immigration policies, “The new Gallup data suggests U.S. adults are returning to more pro-immigrant views that could complicate Trump’s push for sweeping deportations and other anti-immigration policies. The poll shows decreasing support for the type of mass deportations Trump has championed since before he was elected.”
Immigration was Trump’s issue. He’s been fear-mongering about immigrants since before he descended that escalator in 2015, and he spent the run up to 2024 wrongly insisting (even after being factchecked) that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were "eating the dogs.” He uses immigration as his get out the vote tool in every election, midterm or general. He tells his base that “caravans” are coming for them. And it all worked. It got him elected.
But now that he’s in office, the country is turning away from his immigration policies, right as they’re set to ramp up in an all out assault.
What do you think about Americans turning on Trump’s immigration policy? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Betrayal bill. That is a perfect description.
Trump is cruel, cruel man who will use someone else's misery to become president. And he isn't alone, there are a whole lot of Republican sycophants who allow help him do this. He relies on hatred, ignorance, misinformation, and fear to get the Republican voters to vote for him. Shame on anyone who tries to profit from such cruelty!