One of President Trump’s campaign trail promises was to crack down on illegal immigration, and since taking office, he’s made good on his word. Back in March, he invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and deported a group of Venezuelan migrants to CECOT. The Department of Homeland Security, led by Trump appointee Kristi Noem, has taken an active role in seeking out undocumented immigrants, entering cities like LA and heading into workplaces to carry out arrests. In Florida, the now-infamous facility known as Alligator Alcatraz, which had been in the works since 2023, opened as a detention center for immigrants. And this just brushes the surface of what’s taken place in terms of US immigration policy.
What’s not reported on is what the American public thinks. Voter sentiment on undocumented immigrants could have a big impact on who wins and who loses in the 2026 midterm and gubernatorial elections. Resonate, the only company to accurately predict the outcomes of the last three presidential elections, has been keeping track of Americans’ opinions and behaviors around illegal immigration.
This is a hot-button issue: 38.9%, or 92.4M Americans, believe illegal immigration or a lack of border security is a threat to the long-term interests of the United States.
How Do Voters Think Undocumented Immigrants Should Be Handled?
Despite some public outcry over ICE arrests, only 9.6% of Americans, or 22.8M people, don’t think any undocumented immigrants should be deported. A sizable 47.9%, or 113.7M, instead believe that only those who committed violent crimes should be expelled from the country. Another 11.8%, or 27.9M, think deportation should only be applied to those immigrants who have broken laws. And 30.8%, or 73.1M people, agree with proactively deporting all undocumented immigrants.
Which Immigration Reform Policies Do Americans Support?
Just as with most other issues facing the nation, there are many opinions on what should be done to reform the US immigration system.
- 36.9% say citizenship should be simplified so immigrants know if they’re eligible
- 33.4% believe the number of immigration judges should be increased
- 31.2% think all employers should have to use E-Verify for eligibility
- 28.5% say all refugees should have to remain abroad during processing
- 23.9% want a physical wall built along the entire southern border of the US
- 21.9% want a “smart wall” built along the southern border
- 19.7% want to fund improvements in Latin America so immigrants don’t need to leave
- 14.8% don’t think any immigration reform is needed
- 10.1% say “other”
- 9.9% believe ICE should be abolished
- 7.4% want an open immigration policy
- 6.6% support Muslim or Muslim-country bans
What Do Registered Hispanic Voters Think?
According to the Resonate AI-powered data engine, rAI, there are 28.8M Hispanic registered voters in the US making up 12.1% of the population. Exit polls from the 2024 presidential election suggested that Trump achieved a record share of these voters. Since it’s overwhelmingly immigrants of Latino origin who are being swept up in ICE raids, it’s valuable to look at this audience’s sentiments on US immigration policy, as well as their views of President Trump’s personality, behavior, and policies.
28% of Registered Hispanic Voters view illegal immigration or a lack of border security as a threat to the long-term future of the United States. In comparison to the audience encompassing the American public, far more of these voters believe ICE should be abolished: 23%. Another 43% believe the most appropriate immigration reform measure is to increase the number of judges.
Navigating complex issues like immigration reform requires you to have high-performance voter intelligence that carefully keeps track of where Americans really stand. Resonate is an experienced, strategic partner that helps you identify, understand, and target audiences from research to activation. Learn how we can help you come out on the winning side.
Schedule a consultation with a data expert today.
