Immigration Polling has become the defining metric of the 2026 political landscape. Once Trump’s strongest asset, the issue is now a growing vulnerability. 8Immigration and border security had long stood out as a strength for Trump in polls, both as he ran for a second term in 2024 and in the first year of his new administration. Now, Trump’s ratings on the issue have sunk to the same level as his overall job approval rating.
The decline has been sharp. 6The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 38 percent of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, a 2-point drop from about a month ago. His approval rating on immigration peaked right at 50 percent in March of last year. 6Another 55 percent of respondents said they disapprove of his policies.
What’s Driving the Immigration Polling Shift
Deadly enforcement incidents have accelerated the drop. 3The poll gathered responses before and after immigration officers on Saturday killed a second U.S. citizen in Minneapolis during confrontations with protesters over Trump’s deployment of immigration agents to cities across the U.S. 7A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found 55% of voters disapprove of how immigration enforcement agencies are enforcing laws in U.S. cities, with 40% strongly disapproving.
Men — a key Trump demographic — are pulling back. 6Voters’ frustration is largely reflected in the polling of men, which indicated that support among that demographic dipped in recent weeks. The latest survey showed Trump’s approval rating on immigration at 41 percent among men, compared to it hovering around 50 percent throughout last year.
Why Immigration Polling Matters for 2026
The stakes are enormous heading into November. 6The results mark the latest sign that the campaign issue that helped to deliver him back to the Oval Office could become a liability as the 2026 midterms approach. Not every poll shows collapse, however. 1Three in 10 adults approve of the way ICE is enforcing immigration laws, and approval of President Trump’s handling of immigration, the economy, and health care remains similar to recent months according to AP-NORC.
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