Americans now disapprove of ICE and support protests against the agency, according to a new poll conducted the same day a federal officer fatally shot a 37-year-old mother in Minneapolis.
Why it matters: President Trump's immigration crackdown is a cornerstone of his agenda, but ICE and Homeland Security tactics have repeatedly sparked protests and legal challenges. The agency's net approval fell 30 percentage points in a year.
Driving the news: A YouGov poll of over 2,600 U.S. adults on Jan. 7, found people don't like the way ICE operates.
- About 52% either somewhat or strongly disapproved of how ICE was handling its job, compared to 39% who somewhat or strongly approved.
- Just 27% said the agency's tactics were "about right" compared to 51% who called them "too forceful". Another 10% said they were "not forceful enough."
- A 44% plurality of adults approved of recent ICE protests, while 42% disapproved.
By the numbers: ICE had a +16 net approval rating last February at the start of Trump's second term, according to YouGov.
- That rating cratered over the year to -14 as the administration's immigration policies — including Stephen Miller's plan to arrest ideally 3,000 people per day — took hold.
Zoom in: The YouGov poll also showed nearly 6 in 10 Americans (58%) believe there's a war or conflict happening in U.S. cities.
- Just 26% say there's no war or conflict happening.
- Older Americans were most likely to perceive conflict: 74% of those 65+ see a conflict or a war playing out.
Of note: Meanwhile, support for abolishing ICE has surged.
- In September 2024, just 19% supported abolishing the agency, according to survey data from research firm Civiqs, while 66% opposed.
- This month, 42% support abolishing the agency and 49.5% oppose.
- Abolishing ICE has become a consensus view among Democrats, per the Civiqs data, with 69% of Democrats now supporting the idea.
Zoom out: The Department of Homeland Security, which houses ICE, consistently ranks amongst Americans least favorite federal agencies, according to Pew Research Center's 2025 annual popularity poll.
- Republicans viewed DHS more positively in 2025 than in 2024, President Biden's last year in office.
- Unsurprisingly, DHS' favorability levels completely flipped for Democrats.
Go deeper: Trump's immigration approval ratings sink to new lows
