Republicans' Confidence in ICE Falls by Nearly 10 Points After Minneapolis Shootings: Poll

Republican confidence in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has declined sharply following fatal shootings in Minneapolis, according to a new Economist/YouGov poll, reflecting broader concerns about the agency's tactics and the political impact of the Trump administration's immigration strategy.

Sixty percent of Republicans said they had confidence in ICE in the Jan. 23–26 survey, down from 68 percent two weeks earlier and 69 percent a month before. The share of Republicans expressing "very little" confidence doubled to 16 percent from 8 percent two weeks ago.

The shift reflected by the poll coincided with heightened scrutiny of ICE after two officer-involved shootings in Minneapolis, including the January 7 killing of Renee Good and the later shooting of Alex Pretti. Three-quarters of respondents were surveyed after the Pretti incident.

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Confidence in ICE declined across the political spectrum. Overall, 55 percent of Americans said they had "very little" confidence in the agency, up from 45 percent in mid-December. Among independents, 67 percent reported very little confidence, compared with 49 percent a month earlier. A majority of Americans also said they supported reducing ICE funding, though most Republicans favored increasing spending on the agency.

The polling aligns with private Republican research reviewed by Trump's team, which has shown weakening support for his immigration policies among independents, moderates and minority voters, according to Axios. A senior adviser told the outlet that the president remains committed to mass deportations but is concerned about public perceptions. "He wants deportations. He wants mass deportations," the adviser said. "What he doesn't want is what people are seeing. He doesn't like the way it looks."

Public surveys have also indicated growing skepticism about the administration's approach, with majorities of Americans saying ICE operations make cities less safe and fewer than half approving of Trump's immigration policies.

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