Nearly half of Americans back Trump on immigration, but key policies face pushback

President Donald Trump’s approach to immigration continues to be one of his stronger points among voters, despite growing criticism over specific deportation policies, a new poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research said.

The survey reveals that 46 per cent of US adults approve of Trump’s handling of immigration — nearly 10 percentage points higher than his approval on the economy and trade, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

This approval is largely driven by Republican support, with about 8 in 10 Republicans expressing approval, compared to about 7 in 10 approving his economic and trade policies.

Conversely, only 4 in 10 independents and 2 in 10 Democrats back his immigration stance. The poll shows that immigration was a key issue for many voters in the last election, particularly among Trump’s base, which has grown more accepting of stricter enforcement over time.

Although many of Trump's enforcement measures face legal hurdles, the public is less united in viewing his actions as overreaching, especially compared to his trade policies. For instance, about half of Americans say Trump has “gone too far” with deportations, while a third say his efforts are “about right,” and 2 in 10 believe he hasn’t gone far enough.

Despite this, relatively few Americans fear they or someone they know will be directly affected by enforcement — only about 2 in 10 expressed significant concern. Hispanic adults and Democrats were more likely to worry about personal impact than white or Black adults.

The public remains divided on specific immigration policies. About 38 per cent support deporting all undocumented immigrants, while a similar portion opposes it. Regarding the deportation of Venezuelan immigrants accused of gang affiliations to prisons in El Salvador, Americans are equally split.

However, there is broader opposition to revoking visas of foreign students participating in pro-Palestinian activism. About half of respondents oppose the move, with only 3 in 10 in support. Opposition is stronger among college-educated Americans, with about 6 in 10 rejecting the policy compared to 4 in 10 among those without a degree.

By Vafa Guliyeva