CNN Poll: Majorities oppose Trump deporting migrants to Salvadoran prison, canceling international student visas

A rising share of Americans say that President Donald Trump’s deportation policies have gone too far, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds.

A rising share of Americans say that President Donald Trump’s deportation policies have gone too far, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds. Just over half, 52%, say Trump has gone too far in deporting undocumented immigrants, up from 45% in February. A similar 52% now say that Trump’s immigration policies have not made the US safer. And most, 57%, say that they do not believe the federal government is being careful in following the law while carrying out deportations. Trump’s numbers on immigration remain stronger than his approval rating overall or on the economy – a different dynamic from his first term, when it was among his weakest issues. But the latest data suggests that, as the White House begins to implement its immigration agenda, a number of those moves have proved unpopular. The administration’s push to revoke the visas of some international students, for instance, draws 2-to-1 opposition, while moving troops to the southern border garners more supportive reactions. Trump’s overall approval rating for handling immigration now stands at 45%, down from 51% in March. A higher 53% say they have at least some confidence in him to deal with immigration policy, although that’s also down from 60% in the transition period before he took office. Republican support for Trump’s immigration agenda remains high – 94% express confidence in him to handle the issue and 89% say his immigration policies have made the country safer. But more than half of independents now say they have no real confidence in him to deal with the topic, with 56% now saying he has gone too far on deportations. Democrats, meanwhile, have grown still more overwhelmingly opposed to Trump’s actions on immigration, with the share saying he’s gone too far on deportations rising 9 points to 85% since February. In an especially high-profile deportation case, a 56% majority of Americans say that the Trump administration should work to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whom it has acknowledged mistakenly deporting to El Salvador, back to the US, in accordance with a Supreme Court ruling that the administration must “facilitate” his return. Just 20% say that the administration should not work to bring him back, with 23% saying they haven’t heard enough to say.