FILE-A Texas National Guard soldier directs immigrants towards a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border on September 28, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Many Americans support the idea of ramping up security at the southern border, but most oppose some of the measures to manage the issue in the U.S. based on a recent survey.
President Donald Trump started his second term in the White House with a series of executive orders on immigration and lifting restrictions on migrant arrests, allowing ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials to operate in sensitive locations like schools and churches, reversing decade-old guidance.
Americans favor local cooperation with immigration authorities — but not arrests in schools or churches.
The poll shows that a majority of Americans think police in their community should cooperate with federal immigration authorities to deport individuals who are in the country illegally in at least some cases.
Meanwhile, only about 1 in 10 Americans say the local police should never cooperate with federal law enforcement on these deportations.
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Separately, approximately two-thirds of Republicans say local police should always cooperate, a view that only about one-quarter of Democrats share. But relatively few Democrats say local police should never cooperate and most, about two-thirds, say cooperation should happen in some cases.
The poll noted that a move toward arresting people in the U.S. illegally at places like churches and schools would be unpopular.
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Roughly 2 in 10 Americans somewhat or strongly favor arresting children who are in the U.S. illegally while they are at school, and a similar number of respondents support arresting people who are in the country illegally while they are at church.
About 6 in 10 oppose these types of arrests. Moreover, less than half of Republicans favor arrests of children in schools or people at church.
Where Americans stand on border security
What they’re saying:
Half of Americans think increasing security at the border should be a top priority for the federal government, according to a poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, and about 3 in 10 say it should be a moderate priority. Just 2 in 10, roughly, consider it a low priority.
A majority of U.S. adults favor deporting immigrants convicted of violent crimes, and the Trump administration’s deportation efforts may begin there. But the president’s initial executive orders have gone beyond that — including efforts to keep asylum-seekers in Mexico and end automatic citizenship.
RELATED: Trump launches promised deportation program on 1st day in office
Trump has promised to deport millions of individuals who entered the U.S. illegally while declaring a “national emergency at our southern border.” Roughly 4 in 10 American adults support deporting all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, and a similar number are opposed.
According to the poll, most Americans think local police should cooperate with federal immigration authorities on deportations in at least some cases, but implementation could quickly become unpopular.
The Trump administration Tuesday introduced policies limiting arrests of migrants in sensitive places like schools and churches, even though a shift to these arrests would be largely unpopular.
Some Americans support for more immigration enforcement
Why you should care:
Immigration was a key issue in the 2024 election, and the poll indicates that it’s still a high priority for many Americans as President Donald Trump takes office.
The survey noted that roughly half of Americans think the government is spending “too little” on border security, and the vast majority favor deportations of people who have been convicted of violent crimes.
Trump’s plans are less popular
President Donald Trump rarely gives details when he calls for mass deportations, but the poll finds that many Americans are divided about mass roundups of individuals living in the U.S. illegally.
Removing immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally and have not committed a violent crime caused dissension among respondents, with only about 4 in 10 Americans in support and slightly more than 4 in 10 opposed.
Additionally, about 3 in 10 Americans somewhat or strongly favor changing the Constitution so children born in the U.S. are not automatically granted citizenship if their parents are in the country illegally. About 2 in 10 are neutral, and about half are somewhat or strongly opposed.
DOJ probes efforts to block immigration enforcement
What’s next:
The Department of Justice is directing its federal prosecutors to investigate any state or local officials who interfere with enforcement of immigration laws under the Trump administration.
In a three-page memo obtained by the Associated Press, the DOJ’s civil division is also instructed to help identify state and local laws and policies that “threaten to impede” the Trump administration’s immigration initiatives and potentially challenge them in court. The memo also says the Justice Department will return to the principle of charging defendants with the most serious crime it can prove.
“The Justice Department’s responsibility, proudly shouldered by each of its employees, includes aggressive enforcement of laws enacted by Congress, as well as vigorous defense of the President’s actions on behalf of the United States against legal challenges,” acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said, per the AP. “The Department’s personnel must come together in the offices that taxpayers have funded to do this important work.”
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