Recently, White House “border czar” Tom Homan announced the conclusion of Operation Metro Surge, a high-profile immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota that sent thousands of federal agents into the Twin Cities — a move that opponents hailed as a victory for the “resistance.”
But the real victory was won by the Trump administration – and by extension the American people who voted President Trump into office to enforce immigration law. The operation yielded impressive results, including the arrest of more than 4,000 illegal aliens, as well as the location of more than 3,300 missing unaccompanied alien children.
Of course, this success was accomplished despite the outright hostility of local elected officials, who helped spur on widespread protests and violence against ICE agents that ultimately resulted in the deaths of two American citizens.
For many on the Left, the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti were supposed to be a political turning point. Activists and sympathetic media cast the incidents, and some of the polling afterward, as proof that the American public was finally ready to reject immigration enforcement wholesale and that the debate had shifted irrevocably against deportation and toward open-borders sentiment.
For example, the media was quick to highlight that disapproval for how “Trump has handled border security and immigration” has increased from 38 percent to 49 percent. However, the picture changes when people are asked whether voters still support deporting illegal aliens – all of them, not just those who have committed another crime in addition to entering the country illegally.
Across a variety of polling, that answer is still yes.
Despite endless negative media coverage, Democrat demagoguery, viral clips deceptively edited to portray ICE officers as merciless bullies, and an all-around coordinated narrative push framing basic immigration enforcement as akin to Nazism, national polling on the whole shows that a majority of Americans still support the Trump administration’s stance on immigration enforcement.
A Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll, cited by NBC, found that 52 percent of the public still supports deporting all illegal aliens.
Another national survey conducted by Cygnal and highlighted by the White House found that 61 percent of likely midterm voters support deporting those illegally in the United States back to their country of origin, compared to 34 percent who oppose that policy.
That is nearly a two-to-one margin, still, after months of heinously biased coverage.
But it gets even worse for the Left.
73 percent say entering the U.S. without legal permission is breaking the law.
64 percent say illegal immigration is a serious problem.
54 percent support ICE enforcing federal immigration laws to remove illegal immigrants.
58 percent oppose defunding ICE.
What’s even more telling is that these poll numbers were collected after all the media-generated controversy and wall-to-wall anti-ICE coverage that sparked mass protests in the first place.
To put it bluntly, the Left’s anti-immigration enforcement propaganda has failed in spectacular fashion. If immigration enforcement were truly “unpopular,” this would have been the moment for those numbers to fall. But they didn’t.
So why does the media continue to say that support for immigration enforcement has collapsed? The Left’s argument often depends on conflating two separate questions:
- Do Americans support mass deportations?
- Do Americans approve of every tactic used in every enforcement operation in every region of the country?
Those are not the same question, but mainstream media outlets deliberately obfuscate this reality.
Americans can and do scrutinize ICE use-of-force incidents and may demand accountability for errors as they do for law enforcement across the board. They may also have dissenting opinions about operational decisions and tactics that ICE uses.
But that does not mean Americans reject the core premise that immigration law should be enforced.
The polling continues to show something politically inconvenient for Democrats: despite the best efforts of Democrats and their media allies, Americans still believe illegal entry is breaking the law, illegal immigration is a serious problem, and mass deportation is a legitimate solution.
For years, activists and sympathetic media figures have tried to frame immigration enforcement as radical and even authoritarian. The slogan “Abolish ICE” was meant to be a rallying cry for a new majority, just as the Left attempted to do with “Defund the Police.”
But outside activist circles, that message seemingly hasn’t caught on.
There is a growing gap between elite opinion and public opinion on immigration enforcement. The loudest voices on social media and cable news panels do not represent the median voter. Americans still believe in sovereignty.
Strip away the outrage cycle and what remains is the basic premise that a nation has a right and responsibility to enforce its own laws and protect its borders. Thankfully, that principle still commands majority support.
That said, while public opinion is important, it is not everything.
A nation either enforces its immigration laws, or it does not. There is no third option. The removal of individuals who entered the country illegally, particularly those who have committed additional crimes after crossing the border, cannot be a matter of partisan preference or popular sentiment.
The most basic function of statehood is control over who may enter, who may remain, and under what conditions.
American sovereignty cannot be reduced to a focus group question. It cannot hinge on the news cycle or fluctuate with media narratives. If, at some point, the enforcement of immigration law becomes dependent on polling, then immigration law itself becomes optional, and borders become meaningless.
At that point, the debate is no longer about deportation policy. It is about whether the United States intends to remain a sovereign nation at all. And if that principle is surrendered to polling swings and activist pressure, then the country would be dissolved under the guise of immigration “reform.”
The left hoped that Operation Metro Surge would be a turning point. It was supposed to shame the country into abandoning immigration enforcement and accepting the idea that deportation itself is morally illegitimate.
Thankfully, that did not happen. Instead, it reinforced that Americans still believe in upholding the rule of law and defending American sovereignty.
Adam Johnston is a writer and Senior Contributor to The Federalist, whose work has also been featured in The Blaze, and the Daily Caller. He is also the creator of the Substack publication “Conquest Theory,” where he regularly writes about politics, history, philosophy, and technology. You can find him on X @adamkjohnston.
There is still strong public support for cutting off illegal immigration at the Southern border; aggressively arresting, prosecuting, and deporting illegals who have committed crimes either in their home countries or in this country; and deporting all other illegals as we find them.
The support weakens for weekly deportation quotas or sweeps through Home Depot parking lots. We still have the political advantage on this issue. Let’s not blow it.
Bottom Line: President Trump is doing what he promised. The Democrats will continue to spew negative rhetoric whenever possible in hopes of turning the tide at the 2026 midterm election. Once again, it will be those who go out to vote as to whether or not the tide turns for the good or evil. This election cycle is one that many do not go out to vote normally and there will be consequences if voters don’t get out. If you know of anyone who normally sits this type of election out, talk to them and remind them of the consequences because the Democrats will be out to make sure their supporters are out to vote.
The Media & Big Tech are all Alies with the Radical Democrats.
I STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP.
I STAND WITH TOM HOMAN!
I STAND WITH PETE HEGSETH!
I STAND WITH PAM BONDI!
ISTAND WITH ALL MEMBERS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CABINET!!!!
Since when??? Does anyone in this country get to “pick and choose” which laws to enforce and which to ignore? IF YOU DISAGREE with a law, then peacefully protest within legal restraints… otherwise… your next speech should be from a 6×8 cell!
DEFEND ICE! They are doing the job we intended for them to do! #1 deport of imprisoned illegals with heinous crimes, and find others who are repeat offenders of all kinds of crimes that are devastating to our Beautiful Country! Yes, they should wear cameras so the public can truthfully see what the demonstrators are doing! Do let them wear masks, so they can’t be identified and their families harmed! I appreciate ICE!! Thank you, President Trump!
Pray and vote.
I don’t think it matters much anymore what Americans are backing. Unfortunately, it’s the media lies that people believe and that is what will win the midterms for them. That and the fact that too many lazy Republicans won’t show up to vote. And those two facts will be our downfall. Please prove me wrong. But I am hoping that TPUSA and Elon Musk have enough pull and money to turn this around.
Exactly what imaginary “media” sources are saying Americans do not want these things you included in your list?
STOP LIEING. Even your Lowest Common Denominators know your bogus claims are BS. Everyone wants immigration control — but not disgruntled ICE agents or unvetted $50k hires trashing homes, vehicles, and people.
I hope these polls upholding the rule of law on immigration are accurate. I’m always a bit skeptical of polls. Their outcome depends on who they ask, how many, and where they are.
Only a seriously brain damaged could not see the benefit of enforcing the immigration laws and law and order in general. Chaos is modus operandi of the left.
I believe, as do my friends and family, that ALL illegals should be deported. We say they committed their first crime when they made illegal entry to the U.S. Liberals say they’re not criminals because they haven’t been arrested for a crime. That’s really a joke because even if they were arrested for a major crime, or in some cases many crimes, like murder or rape, their judges release them right back out on the streets with no bail and they commit more crimes. Our healthcare system has been overwhelmed. I sit in waiting rooms, after waiting months to even get an appointment, and hear all kinds of conversations in that waiting room — none of which are English. It didn’t used to be that way before we were invaded. I know there is a large majority of people that feel the same. The difference is, we have conversations on the subject among ourselves. We don’t go out in the streets and harass law enforcement trying to do their job. We don’t protest and destroy property. We’re the civil majority.
Immigration officers are only doing what they swore to do. protect the border and root out the illegal intruders. If only our elected officials would do the same instead of encouraging the lawlessness , there would not be a problem. Lawless among the lawmakers are the cause of the havoc. They should have been stripped of their positions and dealt with according to the law God knows they’ve been breaking it too long.
The men and women of ICE, and DHS, are doing their jobs to follow the mandate WE gave to President Trump, by electing him. God bless ICE, DHS, and President Trump. They are true American heroes that we need so bad right now. Otherwise our only other option would be to start shooting leftists. I don’t want to go to jail. I just want to know my tax money is being wasted for Americans. And I have to wonder, just how high would our national debt be if we had not been so badly defrauded by so many illegal and legal aliens, if we had not been paying for healthcare and education for all the illegal aliens, and all the crap USAID was giving our money away for. And I have a feeling we still have not found the worst of it yet. Soon we will see that all the money the democraps have had in their election coffers was also stolen from us. We already know a huge portion of the Somali fraud was paid to the Democrap party.
AMERICANS have 2 choices:
continue to PAY for illegal aliens
deport ALL illegal aliens
Anyone with half a brain knows the radical libs lie every time they open their mouths. Two of the new Democrat governors already elected as governors are doubling down on Communist-like policies after running on a moderate platform. Republicans, get to the polls this year to vote. We need a larger majority at ALL levels of our government. If we lose this year, we may never recover!
Or the cuts to public media
And can anyone else explain the government cuts to the CIA, NSA and FBI and other government agencies
Did you know Trump’s mother was an immigrant from Germany and midwife during Trump‘s birth was an illegal immigrant from Ireland and that his father was also an immigrant
President Trump is doing exactly what he promised and in regards with his approval reading and could any you wanna explain the 2025 stock market crash or why they government cut public funding to NPR or can anyone out? Explain why Trump has decided to make money off of him being president by selling NFTs and gifts of himself which directly violate the constitution?
If the “main stream news media” infesting our country today is pushing something, RUN! Run FAST!
The media is nothing but the unapologetic arm of the Democrat party. They will tell you whatever the Democrat party tells them to tell you. They walk lockstep with the Democrats. I would believe my sister telling me the electric fence is turned off Go ahead and touch it, before I believe anything the media says
Trump states that zero illegals have crossed border in last year.. If that is case, then building the wall is not the answer but adding more border control to stop crossings must be the real answer. Any comments on North border from Trump or Homen or Noem or ?? I support deportation of illegal immigrants but I do not agree with all of the mistakes that ICE is making or the brutal handling of American citizens.
Everything is regulated, has rules, certification, etc. ALL bit media.
So, why is it not legislated by citizen vote, rules, expectations, and many other controls, and if the truth is not adhered to, one warning and then forced closure? Americans have no guts to control obvious lies and communism, democratic idiocy, etc. Word on the street is loud and clear and getting louder. WHAT WILL IT TAKE?
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AMERICANS ARE SICK AND TIRED OF THE DEMANDS, THE WHINING, THE LIES, THE LACK OF RULES FOR RUNNING FOR OFFICE, THE COMMUNISTS AND OTHERS W SEEM TO GET AWAY WITH ALL THINGS AGAINST DECENT PEOPLE. The example of a member of Congress who stumbled, hesitated, made no sense, and is ignorant, but for some sick power reason, why is it tolerated?
THE LACK OF PROSECUTION OF OBVIOUS NAYSAYERS (THE KILLING OF DIPLOMATS, THE DESTRUCTION OF COMPUTER DRIVES, THE LIE, THE IGNORANCE. TIME TO END IT AND DO SO WITH WHAT IS NECESSARY. Americans who love American speaking and the din of it all increase daily, especially with all of the fools who carry headlines. American citizens are speaking out – anyone listening before the top comes off and change is forced?
DEPORT ILLEGAL ALIENS…..AND ALL LIBERALS/DEMOCRATS!!!!!
The media are liars and they are owned or controlled by the elitist and enemies of America and the American people! The media wants to call them illegal immigrates but they are invaders in n our country, they have no legal rights and should be deported immediately! Anyone who wants to protect and protest their deportation should be deported immediately with them! The Democratic California Governor Newsom is a disgrace to our country and should be impeached and deported immediately!
Only an idiot believes anything the Commie paid media tell us including Fox news.
It’s obvious all the protests against ICE are just another symptom of TDS. These idiots call Trump Hitler, and ICE the Gestapo. But the protesters are all still alive and free. If Trump was truly like Hitler, ICE would pull up to the protest in a truck with the back covered, open up the cover, and a Dillon Mini-Gun is there, and it opens up with hundreds of 7.62×51 NATO rounds per second, turning all the protesters into hamburger meat in seconds. That’s how Hitler would have handled it. C-130 Gunships or A-10s would be hitting Minnesota’s State Capital Building, along with Mayor Frye’s office, Walz would have long ago been arrested, given a fair trial, and shot. Stop calling Trump Hitler, you fat lazy women who never broke a sweat in their life to earn their money. The fact that you are still alive, means Trump is not Hitler. All you worthless ass ANTIFA idiots, pretending to be freedom fighters, your life is not in danger. If you were really freedom fighters, first you would be armed, and second, you would be facing execution if arrested or being shot on sight by Law Enforcement if caught. Non of you have the balls or inclination to give up your comfortable lazy, easy life with other people paying your bills and feeding you, while you whine and complain about Trump and ICE. Get off your lazy asses, go to work, and I bet your attitude changes when you pay taxes and watch that money go to pay illegal aliens medical and education bills, and to pad the pockets of foreigners in our country to do nothing except to defraud us out of our tax money. Are all those paid protesters having withholding and SS taken out of their checks from Soros? Are they paying taxes on the money they are making protesting, reporting it to the IRS like the rest of the citizens in the country do?
Off subject, but also, Leftists, stop dropping your abortions into our sewer systems along with traces of the hormones you took to abort your child into the toilet. Those dead fetus bodies are being found in sewer screens and waste water processing facilities, especially in states where abortion is illegal. You are murdering your own children and flushing them down the toilet. I don’t know how you can live with the guilt of killing your own child. All you people who take that abortion pill need to take a very close look at the bloody toilet water to see if that fetus might look like you before you flush. Then maybe you will realize the horror you are committing. I had to get an RO water system after reading about that, to be able to drink water again.
If Trump took the same hard line against Mexico as he’s taking against Iran, there would be ten million fewer in the US by now.