A recent Reuters survey shows that U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval rating on immigration has dropped to 41 per cent, the lowest of his term. The decline comes amid growing public backlash to his administration’s aggressive immigration policies. Just a month earlier, in June, Trump’s approval rating on immigration stood at 43 per cent.
Only 28 per cent of poll respondents said they agreed with the statement that “immigration arrests at places of work are good for the country,” compared with 54 per cent who disagreed. Republicans were notably divided, with 56 per cent in favour of workplace raids, 24 per cent opposed, and about 20 per cent saying they were unsure. Democrats overwhelmingly disagreed.
In one recent immigration raid on a farm in California, one worker reportedly died and hundreds were arrested, according to a Reuters survey.
Reportedly, Republicans were also divided when asked whether they agreed with a statement that arrests of immigrants should be carried out like military operations. Sixty per cent agreed, and 25 per cent disagreed. Overall, just one in three Americans supported the notion, and one in ten Democrats.
When it came to whether or not immigration enforcement officers should wear masks during raids, Americans were more clearly split along partisan lines. Approximately 70 per cent of Republicans believed they ought to, while the same proportion of Democrats disagreed, according to the survey.
Up until recently, Trump’s immigration policy was seen as a strong point. It was the only subject area in which his approval rating topped 50 per cent in Reuters/Ipsos polls covering various issues, from foreign policy to taxes, particularly in February and March. Since then, it has declined. According to the most recent survey, 51 per cent of participants disapproved of his handling of the matter, 10 percentage points higher than those who approved.
Congress passed a spending law this month that provides funding to detain at least 100,000 people, a steep increase over the record 58,000 in custody by late June.
