Cotton PAC Poll: Voters Back Deportations, Want ICE To Cool It

A new poll commissioned by a political group with ties to Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., suggests many Americans want immigration enforcement and deportations to continue, but prefer that Immigration and Customs Enforcement avoid tactics that could escalate into confrontations or cause harm during arrests.

The survey, conducted for America One Policies PAC, found 41% of respondents, including 88% of Republicans and independents, said they do not want immigration enforcement or deportations to stop, but want ICE "to avoid unnecessary harm and confrontation" during detainments, according to Punchbowl News, which first reported the results.

By contrast, 24% of respondents agreed with a statement that "ICE's aggressive tactics are necessary" because illegal immigration is a serious problem requiring tough enforcement, the poll found.

The results:

• 41%: Do not want enforcement or deportations to stop, but want ICE to avoid unnecessary harm and confrontation.
• 24%: Say aggressive ICE tactics are necessary because illegal immigration requires tough enforcement.
• 78%: Support deporting aliens living in the U.S. illegally who also have criminal records.
• 56%: Support deporting illegal aliens who arrived within the past four years.
• 52%: Support deporting all aliens living in the U.S. illegally.

The polling underscores a political balancing act for Republicans, including Cotton, who has aligned closely with President Donald Trump on immigration and has argued for robust enforcement. 

While broad support for deportations remains a powerful political message within the party, the findings suggest a meaningful share of voters is uneasy with methods that can look heavy-handed and that can trigger backlash.

The debate has played out in recent months as the Trump administration has pushed ICE to increase arrests and deportations while facing pressure from business groups and some lawmakers about economic disruption. 

Last June, the administration temporarily paused many immigration arrests at worksites in industries such as agriculture, restaurants, and hotels, an episode that highlighted tensions between the administration's enforcement goals and concerns about labor supply. 

The guidance was short-lived and became part of a broader intraparty argument over whether any sector should be treated differently.

Cotton has publicly opposed retreating from enforcement. 

After the administration ordered that temporary pause, he criticized the move on CBS' "Face the Nation," saying he did not think the government "should pull back on any kind of enforcement at all," adding that ICE agents "need the support of political leadership."

According to Punchbowl, Cotton discussed the polling with Senate Republicans at a closed-door lunch this week.

It was not immediately clear when the poll was conducted, who conducted it on behalf of the PAC, how many people were surveyed, or what methodology was used.

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