About 6 in 10 think Trump has gone too far when it comes to deploying federal immigration agents in major U.S. cities.

February 12, 2026

In the wake of two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minnesota, most adults think President Trump has overreached in his use of federal forces: 62% think the deployment of federal immigration agents into U.S. cities has gone too far, and 61% say the same about using federal law enforcement at protests.

When it comes to Trump’s broader immigration objectives, 54% say Trump has gone too far in restricting legal immigration, and 52% think he has gone too far in his efforts to deport immigrants living in the United States illegally. Opinions on Trump’s efforts to deport immigrants living illegally in the U.S. were similar, 48%, nearly a year ago in April 2025.

The president’s overall approval rating as well as the public’s evaluation of his handling of the economy, immigration, and foreign policy are roughly unchanged from last month and December 2025.

A majority of the public, 60%, view Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unfavorably. This is a significant increase from 2018 when 37% held an unfavorable view. There has been an increase in the public’s familiarity with the department. In 2018, 33% said they did not know enough about ICE to offer an opinion. Now only 6% say they don’t know enough. There is not much difference in number of people with a positive view of ICE. Thirty-two percent have a favorable impression of ICE, just about the same as the 30% who held that view in 2018.