ICE approval drops 30 points in a year as Americans call tactics “too forceful”

DHS ad with Kristi Noem

Americans have soured on ICE. According to Axios, a YouGov poll of over 2,600 U.S. adults conducted on January 7 — the same day an ICE officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis — found that 52 percent disapprove of how ICE is handling its job, compared to 39 percent who approve. The agency’s net approval has fallen 30 percentage points in a year.

When asked whether ICE’s tactics were appropriate, just 27 percent said “about right.” A majority — 51 percent — called them “too forceful.” The poll also found that Americans support protests against the agency, which have spread to cities across the country following the Minneapolis shooting and a second incident in Portland where Border Patrol agents shot two people.

President Trump’s immigration crackdown is a cornerstone of his agenda, but the tactics have repeatedly sparked protests and legal challenges. The killing of Good — a U.S. citizen and mother of three who city officials say was acting as a legal observer — struck a nerve. By Wednesday night, large demonstrations had emerged in New York, Chicago, and Portland, with protesters voicing anger over Good’s death and the presence of ICE in their communities.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE to “get the f*** out” after videos contradicted the administration’s claim that Good had tried to run over officers. Multiple Democratic governors have called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign.