How many Americans want all illegals deported?
Executive summary
Polls do not converge on a single figure because responses depend heavily on question wording, populations sampled and whether caveats (families, long-term residents, children, criminal record) are specified; headline estimates of Americans who want “all” undocumented immigrants deported range widely from about 31% to the mid‑50s in recent surveys (Quinnipiac 31%; Scripps/Ipsos 54%) [1] [2]. When phrasing narrows to “deport criminal immigrants” support is substantially higher, while specifying family separations or long‑time residents drives support down into the 30s or below [3] [4] [5].
1. The raw range: different polls, different headlines
Recent polling offers a broad band rather than a single answer: a June Quinnipiac poll found 31% of voters prefer deporting most undocumented immigrants (opting instead for a pathway was favored by 64%) [1], while a Scripps News/Ipsos survey reported overall support for mass deportation at 54% [2]; Gallup’s aggregation and other probability‑based polls show figures clustering across the 30–50% span depending on wording [5] [6].
2. Wording is everything — “all,” “mass,” “most,” or “criminals”?
Analysts and pollsters emphasize that asking about “deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally” without qualifiers produces higher numbers than questions that include “separating families,” “longtime residents,” or “children brought here as minors,” and support falls sharply when those realities are described to respondents [5] [4] [7].
3. Broad consensus on deporting criminals, not everyone else
Across multiple reputable polls, a large bipartisan majority supports deporting immigrants convicted of violent or serious crimes; for example, AP‑NORC finds strong backing for deporting immigrants convicted of violent crimes and higher majorities when the target group is people with criminal records [3]. Harvard/Harris and other trackers show very high approval for deporting criminal illegal aliens specifically [8].
4. Partisan divides drive headline differences
Republicans are consistently more likely to endorse mass or broad deportation than Democrats; several surveys show Republican support for mass deportation in the 60–86% range while Democratic support is much lower [2] [1] [3]. Administration and partisan outlets also headline higher figures—e.g., White House messaging touts 61% support for deporting “illegal aliens” but that comes from politically framed summaries and should be read alongside independent polling [9].
5. Time and context shift views — enforcement vs. specifics
Public opinion has shifted with political context: Gallup reports support for deporting all undocumented immigrants fell from 47% at an earlier high to about 38% as enforcement intensified and the public considered consequences [6], while advocacy groups and pollsters observed waning enthusiasm for “mass deportations” as details emerged and alternatives (pathways to legal status) were tested [7] [5].
6. Methodology caveats that matter to the bottom line
Many differences reflect sampling frames (registered voters vs. adults), question wording (“deport most” vs. “deport all”), and whether polls name exceptions; nonprofit and academic analysts warn that phrases like “mass deportation” elicit different reactions than narrower descriptions, and that support for deporting “criminal illegal aliens” is not equivalent to support for deporting everyone living in the U.S. without authorization [5] [4] [7].
7. Bottom line answer
There is no single definitive percentage of Americans who want “all illegals deported”; depending on the survey and the question, roughly 30–55% of respondents express support for broad deportation measures, but support typically drops into the 30s when the question includes family separation, long‑term residence, or protections for children, and majority support centers instead on deporting those convicted of serious crimes [1] [2] [6] [4] [3]. Any authoritative claim that “X percent want all illegals deported” must specify which poll, which question wording, and which population is being referenced [5].