Only 1 in 3 Americans, including just 26% of independents, view ICE favorably WASHINGTON (March 26, 2026) —  A new survey released today by PRRI finds that just 35% of Americans rate President Donald Trump’s handling of immigration favorably, compared with 61% who rate his actions unfavorably; nearly half (48%) of Americans hold very unfavorable views of his handling of immigration. In March 2025, 48% of Americans approved of the job Donald Trump was doing on immigration. Just 1 in 3 Americans (33%) hold favorable views of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, down 6 points from 39% in September 2025. Favorable views of ICE officers have declined across all partisans, with significant drops among Republicans, from 78% to 73%, among independents, from 34% to 26%, and among Democrats, from 10% to 6%. In contrast, twice as many Americans (67%) express favorable views of local police officers. “Over the past year, Americans have witnessed President Trump’s dehumanizing, racist rhetoric toward immigrants and harsh immigration enforcement policies,” said Robert P. Jones, president and founder of PRRI. “This survey demonstrates that most Americans want a more humane approach to immigration policy and do not support indiscriminate mass deportation, the construction of concentration camps on U.S. soil, and the increasingly aggressive and violent tactics of ICE.” The survey shows that majorities of most religious groups, with the exception of white evangelical Protestants (29%) and white Catholics (46%), disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration. Hispanic Catholics (79%) are 33 percentage points more likely than white Catholics to hold an unfavorable view of Trump’s handling of immigration. Notably, three-quarters of Hispanic Protestants (74%), a group that supported Trump in the 2024 election, also disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration. Nearly 6 in 10 Americans (57%) agree that the surge of ICE officers in places like Minnesota is making communities less safe, compared with 38% who disagree. Most Democrats (88%) and independents (64%) agree, compared with only 24% of Republicans. Majorities of most religious groups agree that ICE officers are making communities less safe, with the exceptions of white Catholics (46%) and white evangelical Protestants (31%). Most Republicans — but only a minority of Americans — favor allowing ICE officers to make arrests at sensitive locations (24%) or allowing the government to detain undocumented immigrants in internment camps (41%). Republicans (54%) are more likely than either independents (20%) or Democrats (5%) to favor allowing ICE officers to regularly conduct surveillance and arrests at sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, places of worship, and social service locations. Three-quarters of Republicans (73%) agree that the federal government should detain immigrants who are in the country illegally in internment camps until they can be deported, compared with only 37% of independents and 17% of Democrats. Strong majorities of Americans express concerns over declining free speech protections. Two-thirds of Americans (67%) agree that “the ability of Americans to freely criticize the government without fear of punishment is a right that seems less protected than in previous years,” though Republicans are far less likely to agree (41%) than independents (70%) or Democrats (90%). “While the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration continues, Americans are increasingly alarmed about the growing threats to other constitutionally protected rights, such as free speech, one year into Trump’s second term,” said Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI. Since 2022, Republicans and Christian nationalism Adherents and Sympathizers are increasingly embracing the term “Christian nationalism.” Favorable views increased 17 points among Republicans (36% to 53%), 14 points among Christian nationalism Adherents (54% to 68%), and 11 points among Sympathizers (39% to 50%). Other Findings: Only 36% of Americans favor increased funding for ICE to increase efforts to arrest, detain, and deport undocumented immigrants. Republicans are outliers: 3 in 4 Republicans (76%) favor increased funding, compared with 29% of independents and only 8% of Democrats. 6 in 10 Americans (61%) agree that ICE officers should not be allowed to conceal their identity with masks or unmarked vehicles when arresting people. Only 30% of Republicans agree, compared with most independents (67%) and Democrats (88%). Republicans (61%) are significantly more likely than either independents (23%) or Democrats (6%) to favor allowing ICE officers to arrest and relocate undocumented immigrants to detention centers in states far from their home (61% vs. 6%) While only one-third of Americans (33%) agree that “immigrants are invading our country and replacing our cultural and ethnic background,” agreement jumps to 66% among Republicans, compared with 28% of independents and 10% of Democrats. Just 21% of Americans agree that the best way to fix illegal immigration is to make life so hard for illegal immigrants that they decide to go back to their home country by themselves, a decline from 34% since 2013 when PRRI first asked. Most Americans (61%) agree with the idea that “Immigrants, regardless of legal status, should have the right to challenge their deportation in court,” including 88% of Democrats and 63% of independents. Just 32% of Republicans agree. Most Americans (72%), including majorities of both Democrats (90%) and Republicans (55%), agree that “We should provide refuge for people who come to the U.S. if they are in serious danger in their home country.” Most Americans (81%), including majorities of Democrats (93%) and Republicans (65%), oppose “allowing the U.S. government to collect personal data and build a database of Americans who protest government actions.” Methodology The survey was designed and conducted by PRRI. The survey was made possible through the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock. The survey was conducted among a representative sample of 5,479 adults (age 18 and up) living in all 50 states in the United States. Among those, 5,143 are part of Ipsos’s KnowledgePanel and an additional 336 who were recruited by Ipsos using opt-in survey panels to increase the sample sizes in smaller states. Interviews were conducted online between February 10-18, 2026. The margin of error for the national survey is +/- 1.49 percentage points at the 95% level of confidence, including the design effect for the survey of 1.3. In addition to sampling error, surveys may also be subject to error or bias due to question wording, context, and order effects. Additional details about the KnowledgePanel can be found on the Ipsos website: https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/solution/knowledgepanel. About PRRI PRRI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to conducting independent research at the intersection of religion, culture, and public policy. #          #          #