Immigration continues to be a stronger issue for President Donald Trump compared to the economy or relations with Iran, according to a recent AP-NORC poll. This finding comes even as three individuals died in encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within a single week in July.
The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals that overall, only 39% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's performance on immigration, a decrease from 49% at the beginning of his second term.
However, within the Republican party, support for Trump's handling of immigration remains high, with about 8 in 10 Republicans approving. While this represents a slight drop from the start of his second term when approximately 9 in 10 Republicans approved, his base support on this issue has remained largely stable since last summer, despite a year marked by significant immigration enforcement actions.
Republicans are more inclined to approve of Trump's approach to immigration than his handling of the economy or Iran. Polling data from the past month shows a slight dip in Republican approval for Trump's strategy concerning Iran.
Public Opinion on Immigration Enforcement
The poll also indicated that about half of U.S. adults believe Trump has "gone too far" in deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. This sentiment has been consistent for over a year, persisting through multiple immigration crackdowns. Republicans, however, are significantly less likely to view these immigration enforcement actions as excessive.
While Trump's overall popularity has seen a decline since he took office, the poll highlights that the aggressive immigration enforcement measures over the past year have had a relatively muted impact on his public standing. This contrasts with perceptions of his handling of Iran, where recent signs of slippage have been observed, even among his supporters.
Americans remain divided on whether Trump has overstepped his authority on immigration. Approximately 47% of adults feel Trump has exceeded his authority in deporting undocumented immigrants, while about 3 in 10 believe his actions are "about right," and nearly 2 in 10 feel he has not gone far enough.
Regarding legal immigration, about half of U.S. adults perceive Trump's restrictions as excessive. A majority of Americans also express the view that Trump has gone too far in using traffic stops to identify and arrest undocumented immigrants, a practice highlighted in recent ICE shootings in Maine, and in deploying federal immigration agents into U.S. cities. Republicans were less likely to perceive these actions as oversteps.
Economic and Healthcare Views
Public approval for Trump's handling of the economy has also seen a decline, with about 32% of U.S. adults approving, down from 40% at the beginning of his second term. During his first term, his lowest approval rating on the economy was 40%. Currently, about 7 in 10 Republicans approve of his economic policies, which is comparable to their approval of his overall presidency but slightly lower than the 78% approval early in his second term.
Economically, approximately 7 in 10 U.S. adults describe the nation's economy as "very" or "somewhat" poor. Republicans exhibit more optimism, with about 6 in 10 stating the U.S. economy is performing well, compared to about 2 in 10 independents and roughly 1 in 10 Democrats.
Healthcare has historically not been a strong point for Trump. A clear majority of U.S. adults have consistently disapproved of his performance in this area across both presidential terms. The recent poll shows about 3 in 10 Americans approving of his healthcare performance. However, his standing among Republicans has improved since late last year, with approximately 71% now approving, up from 59% in a December poll.
The poll of 1,165 adults was conducted from July 23-27. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.