Public support for a central pillar of President Donald Trump’s agenda has remained largely unchanged, according to new polling, despite Democrats’ and left-friendly media doing all they can to create the narrative that he’s losing ground.
In April, Trump marked his 100th day in office amid market volatility and a wave of lawsuits from Democratic prosecutors aimed at blocking his mass deportation efforts. Opponents seized on the moment, pointing to a dip in some polling data as evidence that voters had been misled when electing Trump in November.
However, that narrative has been undercut by two new surveys released in May, showing that voter support for deportations remains at or near record highs. In the first poll, conducted by Marquette University from May 5 to 15, 66% of respondents said they approved of President Trump’s handling of illegal immigration.
The survey was conducted nearly two months after the widely publicized deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador—highlighting that, despite the controversy surrounding the case, public opinion remained firmly in Trump’s favor.
Just days later, Quantus Insights—one of the most accurate pollsters of the 2024 cycle—released similar findings, showing 59% support for President Trump’s deportation policies. Together, the two polls indicate that a clear majority of Americans back his approach, with margins of +32 and +22 percentage points, respectively.
Since Trump took office, the total number of reported deportations is approximately 140,000, according to a fact sheet from the White House, as reported by USA Today. This figure reflects cases handled up until April and may be significantly higher now. “The numbers are good,” White House border czar Tom Homan said at the time.
Virtually every corner of the country has felt the impact as the Trump administration has mobilized agents across various federal agencies—including the IRS—to coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security in identifying and deporting illegal immigrants. While Trump entered office vowing to prioritize the removal of those accused of violent crimes, the scope has since widened, with additional individuals being apprehended during enforcement operations led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, and other federal law enforcement agencies.
