Are majority of Americans anti ice

1. Public sentiment: clear disapproval of tactics, less clear on abolition

Multiple recent national polls converge on one point: most Americans think ICE uses excessive force and disapprove of how it operates, with YouGov reporting roughly half of adults say ICE’s tactics are “too forceful” and a majority disapproving of the agency ^[1], and other summaries repeating similar majorities saying ICE has “gone too far” ^[5]. These measures of disapproval and concern about tactics are the most consistent finding across the sources ^{[6] [7]}.

2. Abolish-ICE polling: close, conflicted, and time-sensitive

The simpler question — “Do a majority of Americans want to abolish ICE?” — is more contested. The Economist/YouGov results released in January 2026 showed a surge in abolition support to about the mid‑40s percent, with one report noting 46% in favor and 43% opposed ^{[4] [8]}, while other outlets reading different datasets record 42% favoring abolition versus about 49.5% opposing it ^[3]. Wikipedia’s compilation similarly summarizes mixed figures, noting 42–46% support against roughly 50% opposition in some datasets ^[9]. In short, abolition is deeply popular in some samples but not an unambiguous majority across all polls.

3. Partisan and independent divides reshape the headline

The sharpest splits are political: Democrats and many independents are strongly critical of ICE, with Democrats reported as overwhelmingly in favor of abolition in some datasets (for example, Civiqs and YouGov figures show majorities of Democrats supporting abolition and a majority of independents disapproving of ICE’s conduct) ^{[3] [10]}. By contrast, support for ICE remains concentrated among Republicans, who in some polls still give the agency high approval ratings ^[10]. Those partisan patterns mean national averages mask intense polarization rather than universal consensus.

4. Events and media attention move the needle quickly

Recent high‑profile events — notably an ICE agent shooting in Minneapolis and other controversial raids — clearly shifted public opinion and made abolition a more salient, rapidly changing question; several of the polls cited were conducted amid or immediately after that media cycle ^{[2] [3]}. Analysts warn that ephemeral news surges can push support for abolition or disapproval upward temporarily, which helps explain why one poll can show abolition at 46% while another finds it short of a majority ^{[4] [8]}.

5. What “anti‑ICE” can mean: tactics, funding, or abolition

“Anti‑ICE” is not a single position: evidence shows a strong majority oppose specific ICE practices — masked agents, zip‑tying children, military‑grade equipment — and oppose expanded funding for the agency in some polls ^{[6] [5] [11]}. Fewer Americans consistently endorse outright abolition in every poll. Consequently, it is accurate to say a majority of Americans are anti‑ICE in the sense of opposing its methods and many of its practices, but it is not uniformly true that a stable majority across surveys currently supports abolishing the agency itself ^{[1] [3] [4]}.

6. Bottom line and caveats

The bottom line: most Americans express serious disapproval of ICE’s tactics and growing skepticism about the agency’s role — a definitional “anti‑ICE” posture on how it operates — but whether a majority wants to abolish the agency outright depends on the poll and its timing, with recent surveys showing abolition in the mid‑40s or lower rather than an unambiguous national majority ^{[1] [4] [3]}. These conclusions are constrained by shifting public opinion after high‑profile incidents and by partisan fractures that make headline percentages volatile ^{[2] [5]}.