Trump’s most popular policy? Immigration Enforcement

New polling from CBS News / YouGov and The Harris Poll for the Center of American Political Studies at Harvard University found continued strong public support for immigration enforcement.

More Americans support President Trump’s policy to deport people in the country illegally than any other issue. 58% of all Americans support President Trump’s policy to “deport immigration illegally in the U.S.,” according to a CBS / YouGov poll. The administration needs funding to continue to enforce the law. The budget resolution vote this week is crucial to provide the needed funding to secure the border and deport illegal aliens.

The level of public support for the Trump administration’s various immigration policies varies, but two of them poll higher than all other issues: deporting criminal aliens and discouraging illegal immigration. Those policies are supported by a majority of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.

The Harvard/Harris report listed 12 Trump policies (such as on tariffs and renaming the Gulf) that were polled. Receiving the most support was “Deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have committed crimes.” 80% of all voters approve of that policy, including 72% of Democrats.

Trump’s second most popular policy was “Closing the border with added security and policies that discourage illegal crossings”: 74% of voters approve of his handling of the border, including 60% of Democrats. About three-quarters of independent voters support both of those policies.

“If you really want to know how popular Trump’s deportation and border efforts are, however, consider the responses to a separate set of questions, measuring the popularity of various institutions,” writes Andrew R. Arthur, Resident Fellow of Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies:

“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which was viewed as a shambolic basket case under the prior administration (54 percent of respondents in a September 2024 Harris X poll described it as “not working”), is now the third most popular institution, viewed favorably by 52 percent of those polled and unfavorably by just 27 percent (+25 percent net)….

“….President Trump leaned into border security and deportations during his 2024 campaign, and for now a solid majority of Americans — and more importantly, American voters — like what he’s done.”

With so much public support for immigration enforcement, there is reason to hope that Congress can deliver the necessary funding to continue to reduce the illegal population. We know, however, that it will take legislation on E-Verify, Birthright Citizenship, and Asylum reform to restore credibility in the long run.

See our Six Great Immigration Solutions.