Fox News Poll: Support for deportation depends on who is being targeted

As the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, or ICE, continues to crackdown on illegal immigration, about half of voters say the department is too aggressive in its deportation efforts. Furthermore, while support for deportation is high, it depends on who is being targeted.

The latest Fox News survey, released Monday, finds 3 in 10 back deporting all illegal immigrants, while 6 in 10 supports only deporting those charged with crimes but would allow others to stay and apply for citizenship. One in 10 favors letting all illegal immigrants remain in the U.S.

Since 2015, a majority has generally favored the deportation of illegal immigrants.

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Republicans (54%) are about eight times more likely than Democrats (7%) to say all illegal immigrants should be deported, and one-quarter of independents agree (25%).

Roughly 8 in 10 Democrats, 6 in 10 independents, and 4 in 10 Republicans agree that at least illegal immigrants charged with crimes should be deported, while others should be offered a path to stay.

On the current approach to deportation, however, views are divided. Half, 49%, feel ICE has been too aggressive in its efforts to deport illegal immigrants while a quarter (24%) say it has not been aggressive enough. Nearly 3 in 10 say deportation efforts are about right (27%).

Most Democrats think ICE is too aggressive (81%), while Republicans are split between saying its actions are about right (43%) or not aggressive enough (40%). Some 17% of Republicans think ICE has been too aggressive.

Independents are more likely to say the agency is too aggressive (49%) than about right (28%) or not aggressive enough (23%).

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When asked what concerns them about illegal immigration, the largest number of voters say that it overburdens government programs (39%). Fewer worry whether it leads to an increase in crime (16%) or terrorism (10%), takes jobs from U.S. citizens (14%), or changes the country’s culture (9%).

Concerns about illegal immigration have shifted somewhat compared to 15 years ago. At that time, by a 10-point margin, a greater share were worried about economic issues like overburdening government programs or taking away jobs from citizens (63% in 2010 vs. 53% now), and fewer were concerned about increasing crime (6% in 2010 vs. 16% now). 

Meanwhile, majorities oppose immigration-related elements included in the new budget legislation, the "One Big Beautiful Bill," as 55% are against increasing spending on the border wall and 59% oppose spending more on immigrant detention centers.

By a 6-point margin, voters think the Republican Party is better able to handle immigration than the Democratic Party, and President Donald Trump’s best job ratings are on border security (56% approve, 44% disapprove) and immigration (48%, 51%). Fewer voters approve on foreign policy (45%, 54%), the economy (44%, 55%), and inflation and tariffs (36%, 62% for both). Overall, 46% approve of his job performance, while 54% disapprove. 

One reason Trump does so well on border security is that 1 in 5 Democrats approve of the job he’s doing – their highest rating on any issue tested. The same is true of independents as more than half approve, making border security his best issue.

A look at Hispanic voters…

On illegal immigration, attitudes among Hispanic voters look similar to those among voters overall: 60% support deporting illegal immigrants charged with crimes while 15% support deporting all those here illegally (23% say let all stay).

The majority thinks ICE has been too aggressive (57%) with a quarter (24%) saying about right, and 1 in 5 not aggressive enough (19%).

More than half of Hispanic voters like Trump’s performance on border security (54% approve) but dislike it on immigration (60% disapprove).  Overall, 42% approve and 58% disapprove.

And like voters overall, the biggest concern on illegal immigration among Hispanic voters is overburdening government (35%). Otherwise, concern spreads across other issues such as crime (15%), jobs (14%), culture (14%), and terrorism (11%).

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Conducted July 18-21, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,000 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (114) and cellphones (636) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (250). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher (among Hispanic voters it is ±9 percentage points). In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.