Do Americans approve of Trump's deportation program? Here's what new poll found

Brendan Rascius, The Charlotte Observer on Jun 9, 2025

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Four months into President Donald Trump’s second term, a majority of Americans approve of his deportation program, with most saying the president is prioritizing the removal of dangerous criminals, according to new polling.

That said, most also take issue with the administration’s specific approach to deportations. Most also favor guardrails, such as court hearings for non-citizens facing expulsion.

Here are the key findings from the latest CBS News/YouGov poll, which sampled 2,428 U.S. adults June 4 to 6. It was conducted just before the anti-ICE protests that erupted in Los Angeles, which led Trump to deploy National Guard troops to the area.

A majority of respondents, 54%, said they approve of the Trump administration’s program for deporting illegal immigrants, while 46% disapprove.

The vast majority of Republicans, 93%, back the president’s program, while 82% of Democrats oppose it. Independents are about evenly split, with 51% opposed and 49% in favor.

There was a divide in opinion, however, when it came to Trump’s goals and his actual policies.

Most respondents, 55%, said they like the president’s goals when it comes to deportations, but 56% dislike his approach.

Further, a majority, 53%, said they believe the administration is largely prioritizing the removal of “dangerous criminals,” while a slightly smaller share, 47%, said it is prioritizing “those who are not dangerous criminals.”

A large plurality, 49%, said the president’s administration is attempting to deport more people than they thought he would during the 2024 campaign. Just 10% said he is trying to deport fewer, and 41% said he is attempting to deport about the same number.

Most respondents in the poll — which has a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points — also expressed support for checks on the president’s deportation agenda.

For example, 63% said they believe non-citizens facing deportation deserve a court hearing or have the right to another legal process. Thirty-seven percent said they disagree.

Similarly, 79% said that, if a U.S. resident is mistakenly deported, this would be an unacceptable part of the deportation program. Meanwhile, 21% disagreed.

Seventy percent also said that birthright citizenship — which the administration has tried to overturn — should remain in place, while 30% think it should be changed.

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