Fact check: What percentage of Republicans vs Democrats support ICE enforcement policies?

1. Why the direct question about ICE support is unanswered — the evidence gap that matters

None of the supplied analyses contain a survey question or poll result that asks respondents whether they support ICE enforcement policies and then breaks those responses down by party. Instead, the materials present adjacent indicators: news coverage of Republican calls for local cooperation with ICE, Democratic warnings about mass deportations, and public opinion on immigration more broadly. Because support for ICE as an agency or for specific enforcement tactics (detentions, local–federal cooperation, deportation priorities) can differ from general views on immigration, these adjacent metrics are not a reliable proxy for the precise partisan percentages sought. The reporting therefore documents political positions and general immigration attitudes without providing the direct partisan percentages requested ^{[1] [3]}.

2. What the polling does show about party differences on immigration, not ICE enforcement

Recent polls cited in the materials indicate shifts in Republican attitudes toward immigration broadly, with a Gallup finding that 64% of Republicans view immigration as good for the country and an AP‑NORC poll showing fewer Republicans wanting to reduce legal immigration than earlier in the year. These figures signal movement in Republican views on immigration’s value, but they do not translate to a clear metric of support or opposition to ICE's enforcement actions, which can involve separate considerations like criminal enforcement, local law enforcement cooperation, and detention practices ^{[2] [4]}.

3. What the news reporting documents about partisan advocacy and enforcement activity

News reports describe House Republican advocacy for increased local coordination with ICE and Democratic warnings that such coordination could fuel mass deportations. Separately, reporting records a surge in ICE detentions of people without criminal records under the Trump administration’s enforcement priorities. These accounts provide evidence of political advocacy and administrative action but stop short of measuring how rank‑and‑file Republicans or Democrats respond to those specific enforcement policies when polled ^{[1] [3]}.

4. Dates and trends you should weigh when interpreting these materials

The pieces span September through November 2025, with polls and reporting showing short‑term shifts: an AP‑NORC and related reporting in late September 2025 document changing views on legal immigration, while Gallup findings published in November 2025 emphasize a broader uptick in positive views toward immigration. Enforcement reporting noting increased detentions is dated September 2025. The proximity of these dates means public sentiment data and enforcement actions are contemporaneous, but none directly answer the question about partisan support for ICE practices ^{[4] [2] [3]}.

5. How to interpret related indicators carefully — what they can and cannot tell you

General immigration favorability polls indicate directional partisan shifts; Republicans’ rising view that immigration is beneficial does not necessarily imply support for specific ICE tactics, such as expanded detentions or mandated local‑law enforcement cooperation. Conversely, partisan leaders’ rhetoric (House Republican memos, state bills urging sheriff–ICE cooperation) signals elite alignment that may influence or reflect supporters’ preferences, but elite cues are not the same as direct public opinion measures. The available sources therefore merit cautious interpretation and should not be conflated with explicit partisan percentages for ICE policy support ^{[1] [4] [5]}.

6. Where to look next for the specific numbers the question asks for

To produce the exact partisan percentages requested, the necessary evidence would be a poll that includes: a clearly worded question about support for ICE enforcement policies (defined by actions like detentions, local cooperation, and deportation priorities) and partisan identifiers for respondents. The current materials do not include such a poll; researchers should consult national polling organizations (e.g., Pew Research Center, Gallup, AP‑NORC) that publish crosstabs by party and issue or specific surveys conducted after the enforcement actions referenced in September–November 2025 ^{[2] [4]}.

7. Bottom line — what is established fact and what remains unresolved

Established facts from the supplied materials show shifts toward more favorable views of immigration among Republicans in 2025, active Republican pushes for increased local‑ICE cooperation, and an increase in ICE detentions during the same period. What remains unresolved—and is not answered by these sources—is the precise percentage split of Republicans versus Democrats who explicitly support ICE enforcement policies. That specific metric requires targeted polling data not present in the provided analyses ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}.