Just one in three Americans now view Immigration and Customs Enforcement favorably, according to a new poll—undercutting President Donald Trump’s claim that the agency has suddenly become popular.
The latest Public Religion Research Institute poll, conducted between February 10–18 among 5,479 adults, shows that only 33 percent of Americans hold favorable views of ICE.
That is down six points from September 2025, when 39 percent of Americans said they approve of ICE.
The number of Republicans who approve of the agency has also declined since September, from 78 to 73 percent. The poll had a 1.5 percent margin of error.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
ICE has been under fire since the killing of two people in Minneapolis. Renée Good and Alex Pretti were killed within weeks of each other after Trump deployed hundreds of immigration enforcement officers to the city as part of a crackdown.
Both were killed by immigration enforcement officers. The state of Minnesota has sued federal authorities for evidence after lawmakers say the government blocked access to crucial information about the shootings.
Since then, lawmakers have also been at odds over whether federal immigration officers should wear masks. Both Good and Pretti were killed by officers wearing face coverings.
Democratic lawmakers say that federal immigration agents should stop wearing masks. However, Trump and his Republican allies initially refused to budge.
But this week, Trump begged ICE agents to lower their masks after he deployed them to airports across the country to assist TSA agents amid the government shutdown.
Trump claimed on Wednesday that since he issued his plea, ICE agents are now experiencing a wave of popularity.
“They were wearing masks. I said, do you mind taking off your masks in the airport? And they took them off. And people said wow, these are nice guys. People are starting to say, ICE, you are nice guys,” he said during a rambling speech at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) annual fundraising dinner in Washington, D.C.
But polls suggest otherwise. Earlier this month, a Fox News poll found that a record-high 58 percent of Americans disapprove of the job ICE is doing.
Polls also show that Americans disapprove of Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement strategy, including some Republicans.
The Public Religion Research Institute poll showed that just 35 percent of Americans rate Trump’s handling of immigration favorably—down from 48 percent in March 2025.
Favorable views of Trump’s handling of immigration have dropped across all parties, with significant declines among Republicans, from 90 percent to 78 percent.
That is a red flag for Trump and his party ahead of the 2026 midterms. Immigration has historically been a winning issue for the Republicans.
But recent polls have raised concerns among Republicans that Trump’s backing may no longer guarantee victories in districts once considered safe.
“A year ago, I would have told you we were almost guaranteed to win the Senate,” one GOP operative told Axios last month. “Today, I would have to tell you it’s far less certain.”
