A new NBC News Decision Desk poll conducted online via SurveyMonkey claims public opinion on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leans toward changing operations rather than maintaining the agency in its current form.
The poll found that 43% of respondents said ICE should be reformed, while 29% said it should be abolished and 29% said it should continue operating as it is.
Taken together, roughly three in four adults in the survey indicated support for some form of change to the agency.
Views toward ICE's operations and enforcement approach were similarly critical. About two-thirds of respondents said immigration enforcement tactics have gone too far, while about one-quarter described them as appropriate and a smaller share said they have not gone far enough.
Overall job performance ratings followed a similar pattern, with about two-thirds expressing disapproval and one-third approving.
Opinions varied sharply by political alignment.
Most Republicans favored maintaining the agency in its current form, while Democrats and independents were more likely to support reform or abolition.
Independents were most likely to back reform without elimination, and Democrats were divided between reform and abolition.
A minority of Republicans favored changes, with a smaller segment supporting elimination of the agency.
Public sentiment also extended to specific enforcement practices. Majorities opposed officers wearing masks during operations.
Most respondents favored procedural safeguards such as warrants for private property enforcement and identification requirements for officers.
Beyond ICE specifically, immigration policy preferences reflected some divisions but leaned toward legalization pathways.
Approximately two-thirds supported offering undocumented immigrants an opportunity to apply for citizenship, while about one-third favored deportation.
Partisan differences again appeared, with stronger support for legalization among Democrats and independents and more mixed views among Republicans.
The survey findings arrive during ongoing federal funding discussions related to immigration enforcement agencies and policy debates surrounding immigration practices and oversight.
In contrast, polling data released early last week by the White House, drawn from a Harvard-Harris survey, indicated majority support for several immigration enforcement policies.
The results showed 73% backed deportation of immigrants convicted of crimes, while 67% supported cooperation between state and local authorities and federal immigration enforcement and favored jails transferring those individuals for federal deportation proceedings.
The polling also reported majority opposition to efforts encouraging resistance to enforcement activity, presenting a contrast to other surveys that show more skepticism toward immigration enforcement agencies.
NBC said its survey of U.S. adults has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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