'Gone Too Far': Donald Trump Faces Dramatic Backlash as Public Approval for Border Tactics Tanks

Donald Trump is facing mounting public resistance to his immigration agenda, with a new AP-NORC poll showing approval of his handling of the issue has fallen to 39%. While immigration has long been one of the president's strongest political issues, the latest findings suggest growing unease with the methods his administration is using to enforce its crackdown, particularly among independent voters.

The survey indicates that concern is no longer centred on whether the United States should enforce immigration laws, but on whether the administration has pushed enforcement too far through aggressive deportations and tighter restrictions on legal immigration.

Support Softens Over Enforcement

The AP-NORC poll found that roughly half of US adults believe Trump has gone too far in deporting people living in the country illegally. A similar proportion said the administration has also gone too far in restricting legal immigration.

By comparison, around three in 10 respondents said Trump's approach to deportations was about right, while roughly two in 10 believed he had not gone far enough.

The findings suggest that public opinion is becoming more nuanced. Rather than rejecting immigration enforcement outright, many Americans appear increasingly concerned about how those policies are being carried out.

The survey also found that about 47% of adults believe Trump has exceeded his authority in carrying out deportations, while a smaller share said his actions had remained within appropriate limits.

Tactics Draw Greater Scrutiny

The poll indicates that some of the administration's enforcement methods are proving particularly controversial.

According to AP-NORC, many Americans oppose immigration agents conducting traffic stops as part of enforcement operations. There is also resistance to deploying federal personnel into major US cities as part of immigration crackdowns.

The findings suggest that while border security continues to attract broad public support, the tactics used to enforce those policies are becoming a more divisive political issue.

Independents Show Growing Unease

The political divide remains stark.

Republicans continue to back Trump's immigration agenda overwhelmingly, with relatively few saying the administration has gone too far.

Democrats remain almost uniformly opposed. The survey found that between 88% and 93% of Democratic respondents disapproved of the administration's approach across key immigration measures.

The more notable shift appears among independent voters.

A majority of independents also expressed opposition to Trump's current immigration tactics, suggesting the administration is facing greater scepticism among the group that often helps decide closely contested elections.

While the poll does not predict future voting behaviour, it indicates that independents are evaluating the administration's enforcement strategy more critically than Republican voters.

A Wider Political Test

The immigration findings arrive as Trump faces broader approval challenges.

The same AP-NORC survey found the president's overall job approval rating also stood at 39%, matching his approval on immigration.

Earlier AP-NORC surveys showed declining confidence in the administration's handling of the economy, where approval fell to 30% in April. Other polling has also pointed to weaker public confidence in the administration's foreign policy as the conflict with Iran has continued.

Taken together, the figures suggest immigration is no longer providing the clear political advantage it once did.

For much of Trump's political career, border security has ranked among his strongest issues. The latest polling suggests that while many Americans continue to support stronger immigration enforcement in principle, they are becoming increasingly divided over how far those policies should go.

Republican Support Remains Firm

Despite the broader decline in approval, Trump's support within the Republican Party remains largely intact.

Most Republican respondents continue to back the administration's immigration policies, reinforcing the issue's importance among the president's political base.

That continued support provides the White House with a solid foundation among loyal voters, even as opinion among independents and Democrats moves in the opposite direction.

Whether those divisions persist could become increasingly important as attention turns towards the 2026 midterm elections.

For now, the AP-NORC findings suggest the political debate over immigration has entered a new phase. The central question is no longer simply whether the federal government should strengthen border enforcement, but whether a growing share of Americans believes the administration's methods have crossed a line.

Immigration remains one of Trump's defining political issues. The latest polling suggests the debate is shifting from whether the border should be secured to how that goal should be pursued—a change that could shape one of the administration's most important political strengths heading into the midterms.