A CBS News/YouGov poll published Sunday shows a growing share of Americans now say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics are “too tough,” compared with a similar survey conducted in November. The shift follows several high-profile incidents, including the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this month.
Why It Matters
Immigration and border security have been central to President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda—an approach he leaned on heavily during the 2024 campaign. He has vowed to carry out the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history, focusing on illegal migrants and criminals.
The poll’s movement comes as ICE faces intensified scrutiny after Good’s death. Good, a 37-year-old mother and U.S. citizen, was killed during an attempted arrest in Minneapolis earlier this month. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Good tried to weaponize her vehicle against officers and labeled her a “domestic terrorist.” Some critics dispute that account, pointing to video from the scene that they say shows her attempting to flee.
The CBS News/YouGov poll—conducted January 14–16—also found that a slight majority of respondents believe ICE is casting a wider net beyond serious offenders, and that most people say communities feel less safe because of the agency’s operations.
What To Know
According to Sunday’s poll, the share of Americans who say ICE operations are “too tough” rose by five points—from 56 percent in November to 61 percent now.
The poll, based on a nationally representative sample of 2,523 adults with a 2.3 percent margin of error, also found a shift in perceptions about who ICE is targeting. Fewer respondents now believe ICE is focused on deporting dangerous criminals—dropping from 48 percent in November to 44 percent currently. Meanwhile, more people say ICE is prioritizing those who aren’t dangerous criminals—rising from 52 percent in November to 56 percent currently.
Views on community safety also tilted negative. About 52 percent of those surveyed said ICE makes communities “less safe” where it conducts operations, while 31 percent said communities are “more safe.” Another 17 percent said there was “no change.”
A YouGov/Economist poll conducted January 9–12 found 46 percent of Americans now support abolishing ICE, up sharply from 27 percent in June 2025. Opposition slipped from 45 percent to 43 percent over the same period. Among independent voters, support for abolition exceeds opposition by 12 points.
That same poll reported that opinions about the Minneapolis shooting split along partisan lines. It found 64 percent of Republicans say the shooting was justified, while Democrats and independents disagreed, at 83 percent and 55 percent respectively.
According to CBS News, Trump’s approval ratings on immigration have fallen to their lowest levels in his second term and continue to trail his ratings on the economy and inflation. A CNN/SSRS poll conducted January 9–12 found Trump’s overall job approval at 39 percent, with voters rating most major areas of his presidency negatively.
What People Are Saying
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, wrote on X last week: “I’ve worked alongside law enforcement to keep our communities safe. ICE is not law enforcement—it’s lawlessness in the name of Trump’s power. So like I said in 2018: Abolish ICE.”
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, on X earlier this month: “Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism. An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots. He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers.”
Representative Summer Lee, a Pennsylvania Democrat, on X earlier this month: “The Trump administration is inflaming rhetoric about a community and commissioning the endangerment of its citizens—and now ICE just killed a woman. They are increasingly out of control. Call this what it is: a police state. It’s past time to abolish ICE once and for all.”
What Happens Next
The political fight over ICE is expected to intensify ahead of the 2026 midterms, with Democrats facing growing pressure from their base to take a tougher stance against the agency.
Whether the recent shift in public opinion leads to legislative changes or changes in enforcement priorities remains unclear.
