A new national survey reveals a startling shift among young liberals: six in ten say it's acceptable to go beyond peaceful protest — even breaking the law — to stop U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
The Cygnal poll, conducted Oct. 7–8 among 1,500 likely voters, shows deep generational and ideological divides over political violence and civil disobedience.
While most Americans still reject law-breaking as a political tool, a growing bloc of younger liberals appears to justify it as moral resistance to government actions they oppose.
According to the Virginia-based polling firm, 60% of liberals under 30 say it's acceptable to "go beyond peaceful protest" in response to ICE raids.
Among liberals overall, 42% share that view.
Cygnal President Brent Buchanan said in a press release that the findings show that "liberals are shockingly okay with breaking the law to go against government action they don't agree with."
The data underscores a cultural rift: younger progressives view civil disobedience as moral duty, while older voters — especially conservatives — see it as chaos.
Buchanan added that the left's defense of illegal immigration may explain this acceptance of "behavior antithetical to American values."
Across all voters, 25% said it's acceptable to go beyond peaceful protest, while 70% disagreed.
Just 11% strongly supported such actions.
By contrast, a strong 55% of respondents "strongly disagreed" that breaking the law is ever justified.
Conservatives were the most opposed, with 84% rejecting any form of violent or illegal protest.
Independents leaned against it too — 72% disagreed, compared to 21% who agreed. The data suggests that, despite isolated incidents of political unrest, most voters still favor lawful dissent.
Cygnal found "little difference" among racial groups in attitudes toward political law-breaking.
Black, White, and Hispanic respondents shared similar levels of opposition, suggesting the divide is primarily generational and ideological, not racial.
However, gender did play a role: 34% of women under 55 said breaking the law could be acceptable, including 16% who strongly agreed.
The aforementioned number mirrors the broader liberal trend among younger voters, indicating that younger women are among the most supportive of non-peaceful protest tactics.
The survey comes amid rising tensions following the Sept. 10 assassination of Turning Point USA founder and conservative leader Charlie Kirk, and renewed debate over whether both political parties equally contribute to violence.
Cygnal found that only 29% of Democrats see a "way off the road" from escalating political violence, compared to 40% of Republicans who remain more optimistic.
The poll also tracked shifts in voter priorities.
For the first time in nearly a decade, "threats to democracy" (21%) replaced inflation and the economy as the nation's top issue, followed by the economy, immigration, and healthcare. Pollsters noted that Trump's aggressive policy style and the recent government shutdown have reshuffled public focus.
Younger Democrats' willingness to defy law and order — combined with frustration toward party leadership — signals growing volatility on the left.
Buchanan warned that such attitudes "accentuate the fact that one side of America's political spectrum now openly accepts breaking laws if it means advancing their political agenda."
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