A new national survey just pulled the rug out from under years of Democratic talking points on immigration, and it does so with numbers that are not even close. The poll, released by Cygnal, shows overwhelming public support for enforcing immigration law, deporting those in the country illegally, and letting ICE do the job it was created to do. In other words, exactly what President Trump has been saying all along.
According to the survey, 73 percent of voters say entering the United States without legal permission is breaking the law. That should be obvious, but it apparently needs repeating. Even more damaging for Democrats, voters support deporting those in the country illegally by a two to one margin, 61 percent to 34 percent. A majority, 54 percent, want Immigration and Customs Enforcement actively enforcing federal law and removing illegal immigrants, and 58 percent oppose defunding ICE outright.
These are not just Republican numbers. Independents and swing voters line up much closer to Republicans than Democrats on nearly every immigration question. That is where the real political danger sits for the left. Democrats can ignore Republican voters all day long, but when swing voters start moving in double digit chunks, panic usually follows.
Cygnal tested exactly that. When voters are told Democrats support defunding ICE, the party’s four point advantage on the generic congressional ballot completely evaporates. When voters learn Democrats are willing to shut down the government to stop deportations, Republicans take a two point national lead, a six point swing. Among swing voters, the shift is brutal, a sixteen point move toward Republicans.
The poll also shows just how isolated Democrats are on the basic question of illegal immigration. Sixty four percent of likely midterm voters say illegal immigration is a serious problem, including 71 percent of swing voters. Nearly all Republicans agree. A solid majority of Independents agree. Democrats are the only group where most respondents insist it is not a problem at all.
Cygnal CEO Brent Buchanan summed it up bluntly, saying voters see illegal immigration as a simple law and order issue. Americans want the law enforced, they want illegal immigrants removed, and they punish politicians who try to block ICE.
This lands as the Trump administration escalates enforcement nationwide. ICE operations have expanded well beyond the border, leading to high profile arrests, faster removals, and expanded detention capacity. Predictably, protests have erupted in cities like New York, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles, but the poll suggests those crowds are loud, not representative.
For President Trump and Republicans, this data is vindication. Immigration enforcement is not a political liability. It is a winner, especially with the voters who actually decide elections. Democrats can chant, protest, and threaten shutdowns all they want. The public has already picked a side, and it is not theirs.
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