WHat percentage of US citizens agree with ICE
Executive summary
Americans’ approval of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is divided and volatile: recent snap polling in January 2026 finds roughly four in ten adults say they approve of how ICE is doing its job while a clear plurality disapproves, and longer-term trackers show substantial partisan polarization in views [1] [2] [3]. Exact percentages vary by poll, timing and sample — but the best available snapshots from mid‑January 2026 put ICE approval in the high‑30s to low‑40s percent range and net favorability in the negative teens [2] [4] [5].
1. What the snapshots say: the near‑term numbers
A cluster of polls taken around the fatal Minneapolis shooting on Jan. 7, 2026 show about 39–40% of U.S. adults approving of ICE’s performance and roughly 52–57% disapproving, producing a net disapproval in excess of ten points in those snap reads (YouGov/The Economist and Quinnipiac) [2] [3] [6]. YouGov’s January 9–12 poll reports 39% approve and 52% disapprove of how ICE is handling its job, and a Quinnipiac poll of registered voters around the same time reports 40% approval and 57% disapproval of ICE’s enforcement [2] [6].
2. The broader trend: approval has fallen from earlier highs
Those January 2026 negatives represent a reversal from mid‑2024 and early 2025 peaks: YouGov/Economist numbers earlier showed ICE’s net approval at +16 points at one point, and tracking through late 2025 indicated favorability slipping into the 30s for approval and 50s for disapproval [1] [4]. Analysts and outlets compiling polls calculate ICE’s popularity has "collapsed" into negative territory — for example, some aggregations report a net approval around −13 to −14 points in late 2025 and January 2026 [5] [4].
3. Party splits drive the headline numbers
Partisan differences explain most of the swing: Republicans report overwhelming approval of ICE in multiple polls — roughly 72–84% favorable among Republicans in Pew, Quinnipiac and other surveys — while Democrats overwhelmingly view ICE negatively, sometimes by margins approaching 80% unfavorable among Democrats in Pew’s August 2025 work [7] [6] [8]. Independents tend to split closer to the national average but lean toward disapproval in recent polls, which amplifies the negative net numbers [8] [6].
4. Why the timing and question matter
The sharp downturn in approval coincides with high‑profile incidents and sustained media coverage: the Minneapolis shooting of Renée Nicole Good on Jan. 7, 2026 and subsequent protests produced immediate snapshot polling showing elevated disapproval and support for protests against ICE [1] [2] [3]. Polls conducted as “snap” surveys the same day or week of major events capture reactionary sentiment and can differ from rolling or longer‑term measures; YouGov’s methodology in January used an opt‑in panel designed to be representative, while Quinnipiac surveyed registered voters — yielding similar but not identical percentages [2] [9] [6].
5. Limitations, alternate readings and implicit agendas
Poll numbers are consistent enough to say "roughly four in ten approve" but must be read with caveats: sample frames (registered voters vs. adults), question wording, and timing around high‑salience incidents all shift results [2] [6]. Media outlets and advocacy sites frame the same numbers with different emphases — some highlight a historic decline to argue for systemic change or abolition, while others stress sustained Republican support to argue for enforcement continuity [5] [8]. Public opinion trackers such as Pew found somewhat different baselines in 2025 (e.g., 49% approving in one Pew measure) that complicate a single definitive percentage and point to meaningful methodological variation [10].
6. Bottom line
Answering the question directly: as of early to mid‑January 2026, roughly 39–40% of U.S. adults or voters approve of how ICE is handling its job, while a majority or plurality disapprove, producing a net approval in the negative teens; however, that headline number masks stark partisan polarization with large majorities of Republicans approving and large majorities of Democrats disapproving [2] [3] [7] [6]. Policymakers and reporters should treat any single poll as a snapshot tied to timing and sampling rather than a settled national consensus.