President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement is encountering mounting voter backlash, with recent polls showing his approval ratings on the issue at record lows following the fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by an ICE officer.
The January 2026 incident involving 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis has ignited nationwide protests and fractured support even among Republicans, raising alarms for the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Multiple surveys underscore the shift. A Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed Trump’s immigration handling at its nadir since his 2024 reelection, with just 38% approval in an AP-NORC survey – down from 49% earlier this year.
A CNN/SSRS poll found 56% deeming the shooting “inappropriate,” with 90% of those viewing it as symptomatic of broader ICE overreach.
Notably, a Quinnipiac poll showed 53% of voters, including 10% of Republicans, rejecting the officer’s self-defense claim.
Even 39% of GOP respondents in Reuters favored limiting harm over maximizing arrests.
The shooting has amplified criticism from unexpected quarters. Conservative voices like Bill O’Reilly urged ICE to “de-escalate,” while Joe Rogan questioned if the U.S. is becoming the “Gestapo.”
GOP strategists such as Alex Conant highlighted public nuance: voters back deporting criminals but tolerate long-term, law-abiding undocumented contributors.
“Immigration is an issue with a lot of nuance, and there’s no nuance in the Trump administration’s approach,” Conant said.
Democrats are pouncing, with calls to curb ICE abuses—echoing past “defund the police” debates—while framing tactics as “immoral and anti-American.”
White House officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, defend the actions as countering “domestic terrorism,” insisting Trump is fulfilling mass deportation promises.
Yet Republicans like Jason Cabel Roe warn of political volatility, predicting short-term pain for long-term gain.
As midterms loom, analysts eye battlegrounds like Texas and Michigan Senate races.
With Trump’s overall disapproval spiking, the question is whether Democrats overplay their hand or if GOP messaging rebounds.