A growing number of Americans now say ICE’s operations are too harsh when it comes to stopping and detaining people, and there is a growing view that President Trump’s deportation program is targeting more people than just dangerous criminals.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers overwhelmingly feel the protesters have gone too far.
In the wake of events in minneapolisoverall support deportation program The party, which has sharply divided the country for months, has faltered even as it continues to draw strong support from Republicans, particularly from MAGA.
In short, citizens express differing perceptions of the goals of the deportation program and how it is implemented.
Perceptions about who is targeted by this program are changing. Americans are increasingly likely to see the administration say, it’s not Prioritizing dangerous criminals, most people believe the government is trying to deport them more More than people expected.
So, looking at Americans as a whole, slightly more people feel that ICE makes the communities in which it operates less safe than say they make them safer.
Overall support for the deportation program started out net during the period, became more divided over the summer, and remained close to that opinion for months afterward. It fell to its lowest level this quarter after the events in Minneapolis.
Many people prefer how the goals of a program are believed rather than liking the approach being taken. The former is mixed, while the latter is negative.
Overall, approval of Trump’s response. immigration has also reached that point Low point of his second termHowever, his approval ratings on the economy and inflation remain higher than his approval ratings.
views on Renee Good’s shooting This is by ICE officials in Minneapolis who are loyal to the party line. Republicans tend to say it was justified, while Democrats and independents say it wasn’t. Most also said they did not believe the administration’s response was fair.
Non-MAGA Republicans don’t think shootings are justified as much as MAGAs do.
As we consider what ICE should do next, recent events in Minneapolis appear to have at least partially reinforced existing views on deportation programs. Democrats argue that recent events mean ICE operations in the United States should be curtailed, but they already oppose this plan. Republicans say this means the operation should be expanded or the status quo should be maintained. They have supported this program for a long time.
Overseas, we turn our attention to Greenland and Iran.
Looking overseas, Military operations in Greenland A majority of Americans appear to be pessimistic about what Mr. Trump’s policies will bring to peace and stability in 2026.
Most Americans believe that the United States has a strategic interest in Iran, but disagree about whether it has a moral responsibility in Iran.
Most people think the US does not have an effective plan to take military action there, and two-thirds feel it would be a long and expensive engagement. Those feelings are closely related to opposition to the concept of power.
The idea of using military force to occupy Greenland faces overwhelming opposition across party lines, including most MAGA Republicans, who say they oppose it. For context, they have largely supported the president after his military actions, including attacks on Venezuela and last year’s Iranian nuclear facilities.
Regardless of whether they support military action in Greenland or Iran, most Republicans believe that Mr. Trump has strengthened America’s position in the world.
What do you think would happen to the Americans if the United States occupied Greenland by force?
While some believe taking Greenland would be a show of force against Russia and China, just over half believe it would provide needed access to natural resources. However, the majority also believes it would cause the US to leave the NATO alliance and bring instability to the world.
Views regarding the latter two effects are very closely related to opposition to this idea.
This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted using a nationally representative sample of 2,523 U.S. adults interviewed between January 14 and 16, 2026. The sample was weighted to be representative of the nation’s adults according to gender, age, race, and education, based on the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as the 2024 presidential vote. The error is ±2.3 points.