President Donald Trump is running a tough campaign to deport migrants, and this could negatively impact his Republican Party in the November midterm congressional elections, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed, UNN writes.
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About 52% of Americans in a six-day poll, completed on Monday, said they were less likely to support a candidate who backs Trump's approach to deportations. This is significantly more than the 42% who said they were more likely to support such a candidate.
Among voters not affiliated with either major party, the difference is even more striking: 57% of independents said they prefer a candidate who opposes Trump's deportation policies, while 32% support his approach.
Republicans may face a tough fight to retain majorities in both houses of Congress in the November midterm elections, amid pressure from rising fuel prices caused by the US-Israel war with Iran. Republican lawmakers almost unanimously support Trump's tough immigration policies, reflecting his growing influence on the party after winning the 2024 election with a promise to intensify the fight against illegal migration.
Trump's immigration policy initially had relatively broad support: in the first weeks after his inauguration in January 2025, 50% of Americans approved of his actions in this area. However, after more than a year of tough measures - including the deployment of federal agents across the country and the deaths of two US citizens during raids - approval ratings fell to 40%.
The poll was conducted online among 4,557 adults in the US with a margin of error of 2%.
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Experts note that deportation policies may have left a lasting impact on public opinion. Sarah Pierce, director of social policy at the organization Third Way, said that scenes of harsh detentions that took place in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis have long been etched in people's memories.
Recently, the Trump administration has reportedly somewhat reduced the number of migrant detentions within the country. In early March, immigration services were detaining just over 1,000 people per day, compared to nearly 1,300 in December, although this is still more than double the figures for January 2025.
Only 25% of respondents believe that current measures have become less stringent, but 70% would support a softening of the approach.
At the same time, Americans generally support stronger border controls: 84% consider border security important, and 87% consider immigration law enforcement important. But 76% also support the idea of granting legal status to undocumented migrants in the US who have jobs and no criminal records.
Some Republicans in Congress advocate for a softer approach. Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, who represents a district in South Florida with a large number of Hispanic voters, is promoting a legislative initiative to legalize some undocumented migrants. She states that this is in line with Trump's course, despite criticism from the party's hardline faction.