Americans’ views on how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is doing its job shifted sharply in a snap poll conducted after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek: “We aren’t going anywhere. While these sanctuary politicians refuse to protect Americans, DHS law enforcement will. We have removed thousands of murderers, scores of rapists, pedophiles, known and suspected terrorists, gang members and other public safety threats out of America’s communities.”
Why It Matters
A fatal shooting involving an ICE agent in Minneapolis has reignited national arguments over how immigration enforcement is carried out—and polling suggests it has further weakened public confidence in the agency.
What To Know
A new YouGov survey suggests a majority of Americans disapprove of ICE’s conduct, with many saying the agency’s tactics are too forceful and a sizable share supporting protests against it.
The survey of 2,686 U.S. adults—conducted the same day as the shooting—found broad dissatisfaction with ICE’s approach.
What the Poll Found
About 52% of respondents said they disapproved of how ICE is handling its job, compared with 39% who approved. Only 27% said ICE’s tactics were “about right.”
In the breakdown:
- 40% “strongly disapproved” and 12% “somewhat disapproved” (total disapproval 52%)
- 24% “strongly approved” and 15% “somewhat approved” (total approval 39%)
- 10% said they were “not sure”
The results also show a sharp partisan split:
Republicans:
- 53% strongly approved + 27% somewhat approved = 80% approval
- 4% strongly disapproved + 10% somewhat disapproved = 14% disapproval
- 7% not sure
Democrats:
- 4% strongly approved + 5% somewhat approved = 9% approval
- 72% strongly disapproved + 13% somewhat disapproved = 85% disapproval
- 6% not sure
Independents:
- 15% strongly approved + 12% somewhat approved = 27% approval
- 44% strongly disapproved + 12% somewhat disapproved = 56% disapproval
- 16% not sure
A majority of respondents—51%—described ICE’s approach as “too forceful,” while 10% said it was “not forceful enough.”
On the protests themselves, 44% said they approved of the recent anti-ICE demonstrations, while 42% disapproved.
Support for abolishing ICE has also risen, according to Civiqs data—climbing from 19% in late 2024 to 42% this month. Among Democrats, nearly 69% now support abolishing the agency.
The YouGov poll also found that 58% of Americans believe there is a “war or conflict” happening in U.S. cities, a view most common among older adults.
The Shooting and Fallout
YouGov’s polling was conducted the same day ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Good, a 37-year-old mother, activist, and poet, inside her vehicle during a raid in south Minneapolis. Her death has sparked protests and intensified scrutiny of ICE operations and federal immigration policy under President Donald Trump.
An eyewitness told MPR News that Good posed “no threat” to officers. ICE officials said the shooting was justified, arguing Ross acted in self-defense.
The incident has drawn comparisons to the murder of George Floyd in the same neighborhood five years earlier, further inflaming local anger.
Federal officials, including DHS, have declined to provide evidence to Minnesota authorities, indicating the investigation is being handled internally by the FBI.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem also said Minnesota “doesn’t have jurisdiction in this investigation,” emphasizing that the case is being managed by federal agencies, primarily the FBI.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Superintendent Drew Evans said: “The investigation would now be led solely by the FBI, and the BCA would no longer have access to the case materials, scene evidence or investigative interviews necessary to complete a thorough and independent investigation.”
Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey have criticized the federal response and called for an independent inquiry.
What People Are Saying
Democratic Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar posted on X: “We will never accept that a single federal agent can be judge, jury, and executioner in our streets. ICE needs to get out of Minneapolis.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said: “We’ve been warning for weeks that the Trump administration’s dangerous, sensationalized operations are a threat to our public safety, that someone was going to get hurt. What we’re seeing is the consequences of governance designed to generate fear, headlines and conflict.”
Vice President JD Vance wrote in a post on X: “The gaslighting is off the charts and I’m having none of it. This guy was doing his job. She tried to stop him from doing his job.”
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “I have just watched the clip of the event which took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is a horrible thing to watch. The woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator, and the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructive and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense.”
He added: “The reason these incidents are happening is because the Radical Left is threatening, assaulting, and targeting our Law Enforcement Officers and ICE Agents on a daily basis.”
What Happens Next
The FBI is leading the investigation into Good’s death—an arrangement that state officials have questioned, citing concerns about transparency, independence, and public trust.
