A series of newly released polls indicate that a significant portion of the American public is at odds with the Trump administration, particularly regarding its defense of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent involved in the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good. According to a Quinnipiac University poll, a striking 53% of registered voters believe that the shooting of Good was not justified. In contrast, only 35% of respondents think it was justified, while 12% expressed no opinion on the matter.
The poll results reveal a clear partisan divide: over 90% of Democrats and approximately 60% of independents argue that the shooting was unjustified, whereas more than 75% of Republicans believe it was justified. This stark contrast highlights the ongoing debates surrounding ICE's role and actions within the community.
In a similar vein, a CNN poll found that a majority of 56% of Americans consider the shooting to be an inappropriate use of force, with only 26% deeming it appropriate. Notably, 18% of respondents stated they hadn’t heard enough about the incident to form an opinion. Furthermore, 51% of Americans feel that the fatal shooting reflects larger systemic issues with the way ICE operates.
The CNN survey also revealed that 51% of respondents believe that ICE enforcement actions are making cities less safe. In contrast, 31% feel these actions are improving safety, while 18% think ICE has little impact on safety at all. This reflects a distinct partisan split: 82% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents contend that ICE enforcement is detrimental to city safety, whereas 67% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents believe it contributes to safety.
Additionally, Americans expressed more concern about potential crackdowns on those protesting deportations, with 47% voicing worries compared to 37% who felt the protests were becoming too unruly. Trust in the federal government to conduct a fair and thorough investigation of the shooting incident in Minneapolis is notably low. The CNN poll indicated that 62% of Americans possess only some or no trust at all in the government, including nearly half (47%) who reported having no trust whatsoever. Only 17% indicated they trust the government significantly to investigate the shooting.
According to the Quinnipiac poll, 82% of U.S. voters have seen the video documenting Good’s fatal shooting by the ICE agent. This widespread exposure may have influenced public opinion regarding the role and conduct of ICE in enforcing immigration laws. The poll found that 57% of respondents disapprove of ICE's enforcement practices, while 40% approve, a figure that remains largely unchanged since Quinnipiac’s previous polling in July.
The same Quinnipiac poll highlighted that 58% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration, with only 42% approving. This aligns with CNN's findings from July. Additionally, a slim majority of 52% stated that Trump’s efforts to deport undocumented immigrants have gone too far, while 31% feel those efforts are appropriate, and just 16% believe they have not gone far enough.
Concerns extend to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, with a CNN poll revealing that 61% of Americans disapprove of her job performance, while only 38% approve. This disapproval rating is notably worse than what was found in the Quinnipiac poll, where a larger proportion of registered voters expressed no opinion (36% approved, 52% disapproved).
The Quinnipiac poll was conducted from January 8 to January 12, surveying 1,133 registered voters, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percentage points. These results suggest ongoing public dissatisfaction with the administration's immigration policies and the operations of ICE, highlighting the need for critical evaluation and potential reform in immigration enforcement practices.