AP-NORC poll shows immigration remains Trump's strongest issue with Republicans

Washington,UPDATED: Aug 2, 2026 19:58 IST

Immigration remains a stronger issue for US President Donald Trump than the economy or Iran, according to a new AP-NORC poll, even after three people were killed in encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in less than a week in July. The survey found that while Trump is not getting broad backing from Americans overall on immigration, support for him on the issue remains strong among Republicans.

The poll also found weaker ratings for Trump on the economy and healthcare. Overall approval of his handling of immigration has fallen since the start of his second term, but the findings suggest that the past year’s aggressive immigration enforcement has had only a limited effect on his standing, unlike on Iran where there are more recent signs of slippage, including among some of his supporters.

Only 39 per cent of US adults approve of Trump’s performance on immigration, down from 49 per cent at the beginning of his second term, the poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found. Even so, about 8 in 10 Republicans approve of how he is handling immigration, a slight fall from about 9 in 10 at the start of his second term. Republicans are also more likely to approve of Trump’s handling of immigration than of the economy or Iran.

Americans remain divided on whether Trump has overstepped on immigration. About half of US adults say he has “gone too far” in deporting immigrants living in the US illegally, and about half also say he has “gone too far” in restricting legal immigration, broadly unchanged from earlier polling. Roughly 47 per cent say Trump has exceeded his authority on deporting immigrants living in the US illegally. In each case, about 3 in 10 say his actions have been “about right”, while closer to 2 in 10 say he has not gone far enough. Few Republicans, about 2 in 10 or fewer, say he has “gone too far” on either deportations or restricting legal immigration.

The poll said most Americans think Trump has gone too far in using traffic stops to find and arrest immigrants living in the US illegally, a practice that was at the centre of two recent ICE shootings in Maine, and in sending federal immigration agents into US cities. Republicans were less likely to see these actions as oversteps. The survey also found that more Americans disapprove than approve of the way ICE is enforcing immigration laws. About half “strongly” or “somewhat” disapprove of the agency’s approach, while roughly 3 in 10 “strongly” or “somewhat” approve. There is a sharp partisan divide: about 6 in 10 Republicans approve of ICE’s approach, compared with about 2 in 10 independents and just 4 per cent of Democrats.

James Leatherman, a 68-year-old Republican from San Antonio, said he supports Trump’s handling of the presidency and backs him on immigration. “You cannot come in here illegally - you’re breaking the law,” he said. Eric Coursen, a 76-year-old independent from Chincoteague, Virginia, said he agreed there were problems with the immigration system and added that he did not believe in open borders, but he strongly opposed the way the administration was enforcing the law. “It’s like taking some bread when you’re hungry and you take it, you’re going to shoot that person rather than just, you know, get them for theft?” he said. “It’s just overkill.”

On the economy, about 32 per cent of US adults approve of Trump’s handling, down from 40 per cent at the start of his second term. During his first presidential term, his lowest approval rating on the economy was 40 per cent in December 2017. Roughly 69 per cent of Republicans approve of how he is handling the economy, broadly in line with the share who approve of his presidency, but below the 78 per cent recorded early in his second term. About 7 in 10 US adults describe the US economy as “very” or “somewhat” poor, similar to April. Republicans are more upbeat, with about 6 in 10 saying the economy is doing well, compared with about 2 in 10 independents and roughly 1 in 10 Democrats. Even Leatherman said higher prices were hurting his budget. “I almost have to go to the bank to get a loan before I go grocery shopping,” he said.

Healthcare remains a weak area for Trump. The poll found that only about 3 in 10 Americans approve of how he is handling healthcare, in line with the last reading in December. However, support among Republicans has risen, with roughly 71 per cent now approving, compared with 59 per cent in December. The shift comes as Democrats opened the final 100 days before the midterm elections last week, saying they would focus on healthcare cuts as well as the cost of living and the war in Iran. Democrats and independents continue to overwhelmingly disapprove of Trump’s handling of healthcare.

In sum, the AP-NORC poll found that immigration continues to be Trump’s strongest issue with Republicans, even as overall approval on the issue has declined and many Americans say he has gone too far. At the same time, his ratings on the economy and healthcare remain weak, underlining the divided public view of his performance across key issues.

With PTI Inputs

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