Polls and Internal GOP Data Show Rising Public Backlash to Trump ICE Raids
Recent national polls and internal GOP data show growing public backlash to aggressive ICE raids: private Trump‑team polling found 60% of independents and 58% of undecideds say he is “too focused” on deportations and about one‑third believe he’s deporting law‑abiding people, while CNN/YouGov and an AP poll find most Americans view ICE as making cities less safe and only 38% approve of the administration’s immigration policy. The political fallout from televised Minnesota operations — including Republican lawmakers’ private worries and senior advisers’ talk of “recalibrating” the approach — is amplified by conflicting accounts of a Minneapolis incident, as DHS says an ICE agent suffered internal bleeding, a detail at odds with local commentary that could affect perceptions of whether the raids were self‑defense or excessive force.
📌 Key Facts
- A new federal detail from DHS says the ICE agent struck by Renee Good’s vehicle suffered internal bleeding to the torso, a development that contrasts with local commentary minimizing the injuries and could influence public perceptions of whether the Minneapolis incident was self‑defense or excessive force.
- Private GOP polling reviewed by Trump’s team in late December found 60% of independents and 58% of undecided voters think Trump is “too focused” on deportations, and about one‑third believe he is mainly deporting law‑abiding people.
- Two recent national polls (CNN and YouGov) show a majority of Americans believe ICE makes cities less safe, and an AP poll finds only 38% approve of Trump’s immigration policy.
- Some senior Trump advisers and Republican lawmakers are privately warning the White House that the televised Minnesota ICE raids are politically damaging, are overshadowing Trump’s cost‑of‑living message ahead of the 2026 midterms, and have prompted quiet talk of ‘recalibrating’ the administration’s immigration approach — though it’s unclear what changes Trump would accept.
- Broad public backlash is visible beyond polls: critics including past Trump supporters (Joe Rogan) have likened the raids to 'Gestapo' tactics, underscoring the political and reputational fallout.
📊 Relevant Data
From 2020 to 2024, immigration accounted for 94% of Minnesota's net population growth, with over 81,000 new Americans moving to the state, making it the primary driver of population change.
Immigration became the leading component of population growth in Minnesota this decade — Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Minnesota's foreign-born workforce constitutes nearly 11% of the state's labor force, with significant concentrations in diverse occupations, contributing to addressing labor market tightness.
The Growth and Impact of Minnesota's Foreign-Born Workforce — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Immigrants contribute approximately $26 billion to Minnesota's economy, supporting affordability and economic health through their labor and entrepreneurship.
Economist: Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy — MPR News
As of 2023, an estimated 130,000 unauthorized immigrants lived in Minnesota, representing about 2.2% of the state population.
Mapped: Minnesota's growing unauthorized immigrant population — Axios
The Somali community in Minnesota, the largest in the U.S., primarily resettled there due to refugee programs starting in the 1990s, driven by the Somali Civil War, with initial placements by U.S. government and resettlement agencies, followed by secondary migration for job opportunities, social networks, and welcoming communities.
How did MN get the nation's largest Somali population? — Star Tribune
In a November 2025 survey, 71% of Democratic immigrant voters strongly disapproved of Trump's performance on immigration, compared to lower disapproval among other groups.
Historical mass deportations, such as the Mexican Repatriation in the 1930s, resulted in up to 60% of affected individuals being U.S. citizens, leading to the disappearance of one-third of Los Angeles's Chicano population by 1935.
The US Has Deported Immigrants En Masse Before. Here's What Happened. — Politico
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Axios reports private GOP polling reviewed by Trump’s team in late December showing 60% of independents and 58% of undecided voters think Trump is 'too focused' on deportations, and one‑third believe he is mainly deporting law‑abiding people.
- The piece says some senior Trump advisers are now quietly talking about 'recalibrating' the administration’s immigration approach because of the political damage from televised Minnesota raids, though it is unclear what changes Trump would accept.
- Axios notes that two new national polls (CNN and YouGov) find most Americans now believe ICE makes cities less safe, and an AP poll shows only 38% approve of Trump’s immigration policy; Joe Rogan, a past Trump endorser, is quoted likening the raids to 'Gestapo' tactics.
- Republican lawmakers have privately raised concerns with the White House that the Minnesota operations are politically damaging and are overshadowing Trump’s cost‑of‑living message heading into the 2026 midterms.
- Supplies a new federal detail about the officer’s injuries that could shape public perceptions of whether the Minneapolis shooting was self-defense or excessive force.
- Highlights a direct factual clash between local commentary (Frey minimizing injuries) and DHS’s account of internal bleeding.