President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation campaign could prove politically costly for his Republican Party in November's midterm congressional elections, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. Some 52% of Americans surveyed said they were less likely to support a candidate who backs Trump's approach to deportations, compared to 42% who said they were more likely to back such a candidate. The gap was even wider among political independents, with 57% saying they prefer candidates who oppose Trump's deportation policies, against 32% who favor candidates who support them. Republicans are alr

President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation campaign could prove politically costly for his Republican Party in November's midterm congressional elections, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Some 52% of Americans surveyed said they were less likely to support a candidate who backs Trump's approach to deportations, compared to 42% who said they were more likely to back such a candidate.

The gap was even wider among political independents, with 57% saying they prefer candidates who oppose Trump's deportation policies, against 32% who favor candidates who support them.

Republicans are already facing pressure heading into the midterms over rising gasoline prices linked to the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. The party holds majorities in both chambers of Congress.

Support for Trump's immigration policies has declined significantly since he took office. Some 50% of Americans approved of his handling of immigration in polls conducted shortly after his January 2025 inauguration. That figure has since dropped to 40%.

The poll also found that 70% of respondents said a less aggressive approach to immigrant detentions would be a positive change, though only one in four believed enforcement had already become less aggressive in recent weeks.

Despite the concerns over deportations, Americans broadly support border security, 84% said secure borders were at least somewhat important, and 87% said enforcing immigration laws mattered. However, 76% said undocumented migrants with jobs and no criminal record should have a pathway to legal status.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested just over 1,000 people per day in early March, down from roughly 1,300 daily in December but still more than double the rate recorded in January 2025.

Some Republicans have broken from the party line. Representative Maria Elvira Salazar of South Florida has been pushing legislation that would offer legal status to certain undocumented immigrants, while arguing the bill still aligns with Trump's broader border agenda. Republican hardliners have criticized the bill.

"I'm very concerned about what's happening within the party with immigration," Salazar said earlier this month on Fox News.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online between April 16–22, gathering responses from 4,557 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of two percentage point

Source: Reuters

A little more informed. A little more connected.