(UNITED STATES) A cluster of national polls in September and October 2025 shows a clear turn in American public opinion against mass deportation, with majorities saying the Trump administration is going too far on removals and favoring legal status over sweeping expulsions. The findings, from CBS/YouGov, CNN, NBC News, PRRI, Gallup, Pew Research Center, Fox News and Navigator, point to a public more open to legalization and less supportive of hard-edged enforcement, even as partisan divisions remain stark.
A CBS/YouGov poll in October found that 49% of Americans say President Trump is focusing “too much” on deporting immigrants in the U.S. illegally, compared with 34% who say he is focusing the “right amount.” The same pollsters charted an 11-point slide in support for the administration’s deportation push since February 2025, flipping from 59-41% approval then to 52-48% disapproval by October. The shift framed a summer of steady erosion in support: a CNN survey in July reported 55% saying Trump had gone too far in carrying out deportations, up 10 points from February. NBC News polling in September showed 57-43% disapproval of Trump’s handling of deportation and immigration, underlining a broadening skepticism of the White House’s approach.
Across surveys, Americans favor legal status over mass deportation by wide margins. A PRRI survey in October with more than 5,000 respondents reported a 72-24% preference for some form of legal status for undocumented immigrants rather than deporting them. That includes 60% who prefer allowing undocumented immigrants to become citizens if they meet certain requirements and 12% who prefer permanent legal resident status without citizenship, against only 24% who prefer identification and deportation. The preference shows up in partisan-leaning polls as well: a Fox News survey in July found a 59-29% edge for a path to citizenship over mass deportation, and Navigator polling the same month showed a 63-27% margin for a process to earn permanent legal status over mass deportation.
The tone of these results suggests growing discomfort with the idea of mass deportation under the Trump administration and a clear appetite for a more balanced approach. Several polls captured this desire for order and stability paired with a humane solution. Third Way’s October polling found that by a 76-24% margin, respondents supported
“a pathway for illegal immigrants who have contributed to their local communities for years and committed no crimes to earn citizenship.”
At the same time, Gallup reported in June that a record-high 79% of Americans say immigration is good for the country, while 17% view it negatively. Support for citizenship for undocumented immigrants reached 78% in the same Gallup poll, with majorities across party groups. Support for citizenship for Dreamers—young people brought to the United States as children—stood even higher at 85%, including 71% of Republicans.
Americans also express resistance to several specific actions associated with the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. Polling shows 60% disapprove of suspending most asylum applications, 59% disapprove of ending Temporary Protected Status for immigrants who fled war or disasters, and 54% disapprove of expanded ICE workplace raids. Majorities also oppose building detention facilities large enough to hold up to 100,000 undocumented immigrants, at 57%, and adding billions of dollars to the ICE budget, at 53%. These targeted findings underscore that the broader unease with mass deportation is matched by concern over key pillars of the enforcement strategy, from asylum limits to detention expansion.
Trust in enforcement agencies reflects this mood. PRRI reported in October that 56% of Americans lack confidence in ICE, including 35% who say they have “none at all” in the agency. The same survey found a 56-39% unfavorable impression of ICE overall, with 35% saying “very unfavorable.” While public safety and border order remain central concerns for many voters, these numbers indicate that the administration’s tactics—raids, budget expansions, large-scale detention—are facing a mistrust problem that complicates efforts to rally support for mass deportation. They also show the political cost of leaning heavily on hard enforcement without pairing it with widely backed legalization options.
The partisan divide is still deep. Among Democratic-aligned adults, 90% say Trump’s deportation policy has gone too far, compared with 15% of Republican-aligned adults, according to July CNN polling. A Pew Research Center survey in June found 78% of Republicans approve of the administration’s approach to immigration, while 81% of Democrats disapprove. That chasm has defined much of the debate throughout 2025. Yet even within the president’s base, support for the most sweeping measures appears to be softening. Gallup’s June data showed support for deporting all undocumented immigrants among Republicans at 38%, down from 47% a year earlier. If sustained, that movement could narrow the pool of cross-partisan backing for mass deportation and complicate the White House’s efforts to cast its approach as a consensus response to migration pressures.
The timing of the shift in public opinion coincides with a sharp decline in illegal border crossings this year, which may be shaping how people weigh policy choices. Gallup reported that support for expanding the border wall fell to 45% in June 2025 from 53% a year earlier. Support for hiring more Border Patrol agents dropped 17 points to 59%. If the perception of crisis at the southern border has eased, voters may see fewer reasons to favor aggressive enforcement, and more space for a long-term fix centered on legal status. That environment could explain why legalization questions have produced such lopsided results in favor of citizenship or permanent residency over identification and removal, even as many respondents still name border control as a priority.
For the Trump administration, the polling presents a challenge: how to sustain a policy anchored in mass deportation when large majorities prefer legal status and say the enforcement emphasis is “too much.” The administration’s backers have argued that tough measures deter unlawful crossings and protect wages and public safety. Yet the latest surveys show public opinion moving in the opposite direction, even among some Republicans. The NBC, CNN, and CBS/YouGov results point to growing concern over the scale and method of deportations, while PRRI and Gallup capture a broader shift toward welcoming immigration as a national positive and providing earned pathways for those already here.
The disapproval of particular enforcement actions is notable not only for the margins but for the breadth of what is being rejected. The 60% disapproval of suspending most asylum applications signals discomfort with closing off legal protections for people fleeing harm. The 59% opposition to ending Temporary Protected Status suggests that Americans are uneasy with sending people back to countries still struggling with war or disasters, a humanitarian safety valve administered by USCIS through programs like Temporary Protected Status. The 54% disapproval of increased ICE workplace raids points to labor and community concerns, while 57% opposing plans for detention capacity up to 100,000 reflects resistance to a large institutional buildout. The 53% against increasing the ICE budget by billions of dollars ties the critique back to federal spending choices, indicating that cost is part of the objection alongside civil liberties and community disruption.
The durability of these trends will depend in part on events at the border and the administration’s next steps. If crossings remain low and the perceived urgency fades, pressure may build on Republicans in Congress and the White House to adjust strategy toward legalization measures that enjoy broad support. The PRRI finding that a 72-24% majority favors legal status over mass deportation offers a stark signal, and the details matter: 60% prefer a pathway to citizenship under requirements, such as background checks and tax payments, and 12% favor permanent residency without citizenship. Only 24% endorse identification and deportation. These specifics are politically significant because they define a clear center of gravity in public opinion, and they do so across multiple polls, including Fox News and Navigator.
At the same time, many Republicans still approve of the administration’s overall approach to immigration, according to Pew, and their leaders have made hard enforcement a signature promise. That tension is visible in the split reactions to policies like the border wall and larger ICE budgets. While support for expanding the wall has dropped to 45%, it still attracts nearly half the country, and support for more Border Patrol agents, even after a 17-point slide, remains at 59%. The crosscurrents help explain why the politics of immigration remain volatile: the public wants control and fairness, but not a sweeping program of removals that would uproot families and communities.
The numbers on attitudes toward Dreamers add another layer. With 85% backing citizenship for this group and 71% of Republicans supporting it, the concept of rewarding long residence and community contribution attracts agreement well beyond the Democratic base. This aligns with Third Way’s 76-24 finding in favor of
“a pathway for illegal immigrants who have contributed to their local communities for years and committed no crimes to earn citizenship.”
Such language reflects a broader willingness to distinguish between categories of immigrants and to condition legal status on contributions and rule-following, rather than treating all undocumented residents as targets for mass deportation.
Public impressions of ICE could influence how policy is communicated and carried out. The PRRI result showing that 56% lack confidence in the agency, with 35% saying they have “none at all,” and a 56-39% unfavorable rating with 35% “very unfavorable,” presents a legitimacy problem. Any push for scaled-up raids, detention, or funding increases will likely trigger skepticism unless coupled with transparency and community safeguards. The disapproval of increased workplace raids and large detention plans underscores how public doubts about the agency intersect with resistance to tools that enable mass deportation.
The political calendar will also magnify these findings. As immigration remains central to national debate, the Trump administration faces a choice: double down on mass deportation, betting that concerns about border security will reassert themselves, or recalibrate toward measures that command broader support, such as legal status under strict requirements and focused enforcement against serious crimes. The polling landscape suggests that a sweeping deportation agenda risks running against the grain of public opinion, which favors earned pathways and rejects several signature enforcement moves. The partisan split remains, but the shift among independents and the softening within Republican ranks on deporting all undocumented immigrants could shape both policy and messaging in the months ahead.
For now, the through-line is consistent across outlets: more Americans say the deportation focus is “too much,” fewer back mass deportation, and large majorities prefer citizenship or permanent residency to removal. With support for expanding the wall and ramping up personnel sliding alongside declines in illegal crossings, the picture is of a public that wants control at the border but balks at the scale and style of the Trump administration’s approach. Whether the White House adjusts or presses on, these numbers will set the terms of the fight—placing mass deportation on the defensive and pushing legalization, long stalled in Washington, back into the center of the immigration conversation.
This Article in a Nutshell
National polls in September–October 2025 indicate a notable shift: Americans increasingly reject mass deportation and favor legal status for undocumented immigrants. Major surveys (CBS/YouGov, PRRI, Gallup, CNN, NBC) report declines in approval for the Trump administration’s deportation focus and strong support—often over 70%—for pathways to citizenship or permanent residency with requirements. Specific enforcement proposals, including asylum suspension, ending TPS, large detention capacity and ICE budget expansions, face majority disapproval. Falling border crossings may be shaping public willingness to choose legalization over aggressive enforcement.
