Do Americans support ICE
Executive summary
A clear majority of Americans currently view ICE unfavorably: recent national polls show roughly half to a majority disapproving of how the agency operates, and support for protests or abolition has jumped after high-profile incidents — but opinion is deeply polarized by party and question wording (YouGov; Quinnipiac) [1] [2].
1. What the numbers say: a majority are critical
National surveys taken in early January found roughly half of adults expressing an unfavorable view of ICE — YouGov reported about 52% somewhat or very unfavorable toward the agency [1] — and a Quinnipiac poll of registered voters found 57% disapprove of how ICE is enforcing immigration laws while 40% approve [2] [3]. Snap polls taken around the Minneapolis shooting similarly showed more Americans saying the shooting was unjustified and reporting higher disapproval of ICE’s tactics, indicating that both long‑running sentiment and acute events are reflected in the polling [4] [5].
2. The partisan split: support exists, concentrated on the right
The broad headline of “Americans disapprove” masks a deep partisan divide: Democrats overwhelmingly view ICE negatively while Republicans overwhelmingly approve of its work, with independents leaning toward disapproval in several polls (YouGov; Quinnipiac) [1] [2]. Quinnipiac’s data explicitly show Republicans approving at very high rates (e.g., 77–84% approval in some samples) even as Democrats and many independents disapprove, meaning national majorities reflect composition and recent events as much as durable consensus [2] [6].
3. Events and images matter: how incidents shift opinion
High‑visibility episodes — particularly the Minneapolis shooting of Renee Nicole Good and subsequent videos and protests — produced measurable shifts in attitudes, with pollsters finding a rise in disapproval and more people calling ICE “too forceful” or supporting protests after the incident [7] [8] [4]. Coverage and video exposure played a role: YouGov and other firms reported many respondents had seen footage and that more viewed the shooting as unjustified than justified, underscoring how specific confrontations drive national feelings about the agency [4] [5].
4. Abolition and protests: support has increased but is not unanimous
Support for abolishing ICE has climbed to historically high levels in some polls — an Economist/YouGov survey found roughly 46% favor abolition in January, up markedly from mid‑2025 — and multiple outlets report a surge in approval for protests against ICE [8] [9]. Nonetheless, poll results vary by question phrasing and timing: while one poll put abolition near parity, others still show a plurality or majority opposed to abolishing the agency outright, indicating heightened appetite for reform more consistently than uniform support for abolition [4] [9].
5. Beyond approval: concerns about tactics and surveillance
Criticism of ICE isn’t limited to enforcement choices; reporting and advocacy groups point to surveillance practices and use of private data to track or intimidate activists as additional drivers of distrust, framing the debate as one about civil liberties as well as immigration policy (EFF; MPR) [10] [11]. Opinion pieces and commentators also note a broader cultural fight over whether ICE represents routine law enforcement or something more militarized, which helps explain why visceral reactions to tactics can override abstract policy preferences (New York Times opinion) [12].
6. Bottom line — do Americans support ICE?
The answer is: not a clear yes. As of early January 2026, plurality-to-majority national sentiment tilts toward disapproval of ICE’s actions and tactics in the wake of recent incidents, and support for protests and even abolition has risen in several polls (YouGov; Quinnipiac; Economist/YouGov) [1] [2] [8]. That said, substantial and consistent support remains among Republicans and a meaningful minority of independents, so public opinion is sharply divided rather than uniformly oppositional [2] [6].