A growing share of Republicans say President Donald Trump is going “too much” in deporting immigrants who are in the United States illegally, according to a new Pew Research Center poll.
The survey of U.S. adults, conducted October 6–16, also found that a slim majority of Americans view the Trump administration’s overall immigration approach negatively. Newsweek said it contacted the White House and the Department of Homeland Security for comment via email outside regular business hours.
Why it matters
Trump returned to office in January after campaigning on a pledge to tighten enforcement against illegal immigration. Since then, his administration has accelerated immigration actions as part of a mass-deportation agenda—moves that have included raids and deportations that have affected communities nationwide.
While most Republicans continue to back the crackdown, the new polling suggests potential political risk for the GOP as it heads toward the 2026 midterms—especially after a stretch of Democratic wins and stronger-than-expected performances in recent state and federal races. The findings also arrive amid signs of restlessness even among some of Trump’s strongest supporters, alongside other recent polling indicating fewer Republicans identify with the Make America Great Again movement.
What the poll found
According to Pew Research Center’s results:
- 53% of respondents said the administration is doing “too much” on deportations.
- 36% said it is doing “about the right amount.”
- 10% said it is doing “too little.”
Among Republicans and Republican-leaners, 20% said the administration is doing “too much”—up from 13% in March. Still, 64% said it is doing “about the right amount,” while 16% said it is not doing enough.
The survey also showed differences by race among Republicans:
- Hispanic Republicans: 47% said the administration is doing “too much” in October, up from 28% in March.
- White Republicans: 13% said “too much,” up from 8% in March.
Broader views on deportation, split by party and race
Opinions on how broadly deportations should be applied varied sharply:
- Republicans: 56% said all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally should be deported; 39% said only some should; 4% said none should.
- Democrats: 62% said some should be deported; 30% said none; 8% said all.
Within the Republican group, 63% of white Republicans said all immigrants living in the country illegally should be deported, compared with 28% of Hispanic Republicans and 38% of Asian Republicans, according to the survey.
Administration claims on departures
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security said more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the country since Trump returned to office. DHS said the total includes more than 605,000 deportations and 1.9 million voluntary self-deportations.
What people are saying
Costas Panagopoulos, a professor of political science at Northeastern University, told Newsweek that Trump’s popularity appears to be declining, including among some MAGA-aligned voters. He suggested that economic frustration may be driving much of the dissatisfaction, with spillover into other issues.
He added that Trump’s responses to affordability concerns—and other actions and remarks that some voters may see as incompetent, unbecoming, or cruel—could deepen the problem, warning that “reeling supporters back in is often impossible once they’ve turned on you.”
Trump, speaking Monday at a Mexican Border Defense Medal ceremony at the White House, praised the deportation effort: “We’ve made a big dent. And the self-deportation is something nobody talks about, but literally millions of people are self-deporting because they don’t want to be captured.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement: “The Trump Administration is shattering historic records with more than 2.5 million illegal aliens leaving the U.S. DHS has deported more than 605,000 illegal aliens and another 1.9 million have self-deported. Since January 20, DHS has arrested more than 595,000 illegal aliens. Illegal aliens are hearing our message to leave now. They know if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.”
What happens next
Republican views of Trump’s immigration strategy may continue to shift as his presidency goes on. The U.S. midterm elections are scheduled for November 2026.
