Protests erupt across the US over ICE immigration enforcement
The video of Renee Good’s shooting quickly went viral. Meanwhile, investigations by state and local authorities have been blocked by federal authorities.
A new Wall Street Journal poll shows most voters believe President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts are going too far and view his handling of the issue as negative, amid a spate of clashes between federal agents and citizens protesting their entry into the country.
When it comes to President Trump’s immigration policies, just over half of the 1,500 registered voters polled the week of January 8-13 said efforts to deport illegal immigrants go too far. Alternatively, 28% of voters said his efforts were not going far enough.
A majority of respondents also viewed President Trump’s efforts to deploy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unfavorably, with controversy, protests, and the fatal shooting of two people at the hands of federal agents in Chicago and Minneapolis. According to the poll, 54% of voters said he was going too far in his efforts to deploy ICE staff, while 24% said he wasn’t going far enough.
Additionally, 56% of voters said President Trump’s efforts to expand pardon powers have gone too far, while 27% of voters said his efforts are “about right.” Majorities also view President Trump’s recent threats of action against foreign governments, such as his push to acquire Greenland, with 53% of voters saying his efforts go too far, according to the poll.
The poll also found that voters are increasingly dissatisfied with President Trump’s handling of the economy, with more respondents rating the economy weak than strong.
Despite this disapproval, polls have found that voters believe Republicans are better than Democrats in dealing with a variety of issues, including immigration, border security, the economy, inflation and price increases, foreign policy, the Russia-Ukraine war, and tariffs.
Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or X @katecperez_.
