Americans’ support for Trump deportation plan drops as economy concerns rise: poll

A new CBS News/YouGov poll shows that support for former President Donald Trump’s mass deportation program has fallen, with more Americans now opposing the plan than approving of it.

The survey, conducted July 16 to 18 among more than 2,300 U.S. adults, also found that many Americans are dissatisfied with Trump’s approach to inflation and want leaders to focus more on rising costs.

According to the poll, only a minority of Americans believe Trump’s deportation plan is targeting dangerous criminals, while 56% say it is sweeping up mostly nonviolent individuals. More than half of respondents, at 54%, describe the approach as too aggressive. Approval ratings for Trump’s handling of immigration have dropped to negative levels, with a 12-point gap between approval and disapproval.

Inflation and the rising cost of living emerged as the top concerns for most Americans surveyed. A full 70% said the Trump administration is not doing enough to address prices. Approval for Trump’s handling of inflation fell to its lowest point in the poll, with a 28-point deficit between those who approve and those who disapprove.

Last month, Trump ordered federal immigration officials to prioritize deportation efforts in Democratic-controlled cities, a move that has intensified enforcement activities in urban areas with large Asian American populations. A recent Gallup poll found a record 79% of Americans now consider immigration beneficial to the country, a wide shift from 2024 when 55% wanted immigration reduced.

Earlier polling conducted by AAPI Data and AP-NORC in late 2024 showed that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders increasingly identified immigration as a top federal priority. While a significant share supported stricter enforcement, nearly as many already opposed mass deportation proposals at the time.