MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA — Republicans pushed for investigations and tougher oversight of federal immigration enforcement after two deadly incidents involving agents this month, even as polling showed little sign that the party is moving toward abolishing ICE.
A YouGov poll taken hours after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti found Republican support for abolishing ICE remained a minority view, with opposition still dominant. Separate Civiqs polling showed similar resistance among Republicans, even as Democrats backed abolition by wide margins and independents split more evenly.
The renewed focus on ICE came as Americans overall tilted slightly toward abolition in the YouGov survey, a shift that contrasted with steadier Republican opposition. The same polling also captured strong GOP approval for ICE’s performance and high favorability for the Border Patrol.
YouGov conducted its poll hours after the January 24, 2026 fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at a VA hospital in Minneapolis, by a U.S. Border Patrol agent supporting ICE operations. Timing like that can shape responses, and YouGov’s toplines moved compared with earlier January readings when support and opposition were roughly equal.
In the YouGov poll, 46% of Americans supported abolishing ICE and 41% opposed. Earlier January polls showed 42-46% support versus 43-45% oppose.
Among Republicans, YouGov found support rose to 19% from lower single digits in prior polls that month, while 73% opposed abolishing the agency. The same question produced even lower Republican support in a Civiqs snapshot, with 11% supporting abolition and 86% opposing it.
The polling split did not translate into a wave of Republican officials embracing abolition after the Pretti shooting. Instead, statements from GOP lawmakers and governors centered on investigation, restraint, coordination and accountability.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino sought testimony from ICE, CBP and USCIS leaders. The calls came as scrutiny intensified following the Pretti killing and a separate January incident involving Renee Good, who was killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana called the shooting “incredibly disturbing” and said ICE and DHS credibility was “at stake.” Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina warned against hasty conclusions, decrying rushed judgments.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said ICE lacks “carte blanche,” while Sen. Susan Collins of Maine raised questions about excessive force. Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas joined other Republicans urging thorough probes.
Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska backed a “prioritized, transparent investigation” while affirming support for ICE funding. The pattern matched the polling: skepticism of abolishing ICE coupled with an appetite for oversight amid heightened attention.
Governors also weighed in with criticism of tactics and coordination rather than calls to dismantle the agency. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt called it a “real tragedy” and questioned the “end game.”
“Nobody likes the feds coming to their states.”
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott called the episode “not acceptable” and labeled it a “failure of coordination” or “deliberate intimidation.” Rep. James Comer of Kentucky suggested shifting ICE’s focus away from non-cooperative cities like Minneapolis. His framing echoed other Republican arguments that local cooperation shapes enforcement posture.
While Republicans demanded answers, Trump administration officials defended the operations and emphasized public-safety priorities. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti “approached” officers with a gun.
“Pretti ‘approached’ officers with a gun.”
President Trump urged highlighting detained “murderers and drug dealers.” Vice President JD Vance called for lowering tensions while blaming local non-cooperation.
A White House spokesperson said the administration targeted the “worst of the worst,” including those convicted of assault, rape and murder. The White House messaging rejected abolition while portraying enforcement as aimed at violent offenders.
“the ‘worst of the worst,’ including those convicted of assault, rape and murder.”
Beyond Republicans, the polling pointed to sharper partisan divides than a unified national trend. Civiqs showed Democrats supporting abolishing ICE at 71-76%, while independents backed it at 41-47%.
YouGov’s Republican numbers tracked with the Civiqs picture, though the two pollsters’ methods differ and cross-poll comparisons warrant caution. Still, both snapshots pointed in the same direction: Republican support for abolishing ICE stayed low, even as national opinion shifted slightly in the YouGov poll taken immediately after the Pretti shooting.
The wider YouGov findings also suggested Americans can hold different views about protests, enforcement tactics and abolition as separate questions. In the same set of results, 49% of Americans approved of anti-ICE protests, a figure that masked a wide partisan split.
Democrats approved at 79%, independents at 49% and Republicans at 20%. Those numbers underscored how the public’s reactions to enforcement controversies can diverge from views about whether the agency should exist.
On agency performance, the YouGov results showed Republicans remained broadly supportive of ICE’s work even amid the controversy. In that poll, 51% of Republicans strongly approved of ICE’s job performance, while 7% strongly disapproved.
Asked about tactics, most Republicans said enforcement looked appropriate rather than excessive. The poll found 49% of Republicans described ICE tactics as “about right,” compared with 22% who said too forceful and 21% who said not forceful enough.
Border Patrol favorability among Republicans stood at 83%. The figures illustrated how support for enforcement agencies can remain strong even as Republican officials press for reviews of specific operations and accountability for shootings.
A separate measure of public sentiment moved in the opposite direction for the White House. Approval of Trump’s handling of immigration dropped to 38% in January 2026 from 49% in March, according to AP-NORC.
The YouGov poll taken after Pretti’s death showed a nation narrowly leaning toward abolishing ICE, but it did not show Republicans following suit. Even with a modest uptick in the YouGov Republican support figure from earlier in the month, opposition remained the prevailing view among Republicans, and Civiqs registered even firmer resistance.
In the end, the polling and the political response pointed to a consistent bottom line: Republicans largely framed their concerns in terms of restraint, coordination and oversight rather than dismantling the agency. The GOP numbers stayed low in both polling snapshots, with Republicans at 19% support and 73% oppose in YouGov and 11% support and 86% oppose in Civiqs.
Yougov Poll Shows Marginal Rise in Republicans Backing Abolishing ICE
Following two fatal shootings by federal agents in January 2026, Republican officials have shifted toward demanding transparency and accountability. While a narrow plurality of Americans now supports abolishing ICE, Republican opposition remains firm at over 70%. GOP leaders like Senator Bill Cassidy and Governor Phil Scott are prioritizing investigations into agency tactics and lack of state-level coordination rather than supporting the total dismantling of immigration enforcement agencies.
