There has been little change in public support for a key tenet of President Donald Trump’s agenda, according to new polling.
In April, President Trump marked his 100th day in office amidst market upheaval and lawsuits by Democratic prosecutors seeking to stymie his mass deportation of illegal immigrants. The tumultuous period presented opponents with an opportunity to point toward some declining poll results, arguing that Americans bought a bill of false goods when they elected Trump in November.
That narrative has come undone with the release of two new surveys showing that voters’ support for deportations has remained at or near record highs well into May.
In the first, Marquette University found that 66% of respondents approved of Trump’s handling of illegal immigration. The poll, which was conducted from May 5 to 15, occurred nearly two months after the high-profile deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, underscoring how strongly public opinion remained on Trump’s side despite the outcry raised about the case.
Those results were nearly duplicated days later by Quantus Insights, which delivered some of the most accurate polling in 2024, showing 59% support for the Republican’s approach toward deportations. Both polls show the majority of Americans on his side by +32 and +22 margins, respectively.
The total number of deportations believed to have taken place since Trump took office sits around 140,000, according to a White House fact sheet, reports USA Today. The figure represents cases handled through April and could sit much higher now.
“The numbers are good,” White House border czar Tom Homan said at the time.
Seemingly every corner of the U.S. has been affected as the Trump administration has deputized agents in far-flung corners of government, including the IRS, to pool resources with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in locating and deporting illegal immigrants.
President Trump took office pledging to carry out his immigration agenda with a focus on illegal immigrants accused of violent crimes, though that target has expanded as others were apprehended during raids by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, the FBI, and other federal law enforcement agencies.
Despite initial turbulence with the rollout of his tariffs, Trump’s personal popularity remains seemingly unaffected. Earlier this month, Quantus produced polling showing 48% of voters still approve of his job performance while 48% disapproved, a rebuke of Democrats’ narrative that he is underwater with support.
Those numbers climbed from a 47% approval rating about a week earlier, Rasmussen reported.
One of the cornerstones of Trump’s early agenda has been immigration reform. He reinstated the national emergency at the southern border, rolled back asylum protections, and reauthorized deportation efforts that had been scaled back under previous leadership.
A particularly notable move came with the rollout of a voluntary self-deportation program, offering illegal immigrants $1,000 and a free flight home—a cost-cutting measure the administration claims could reduce deportation expenses by 70%.
The latest results are a boon to the 47th president and come amid historic fundraising geared toward the 2026 midterms. On Friday, the Trump political operation reported $600 million raised to support the reelection of members of Congress who helped pass his historic tax cuts bill, which now heads to the U.S. Senate.
