CBS News poll finds views of deportation operations continue to divide country
#ICE deportation operations #CBS News poll #Partisan divide #Immigration enforcement #Jeffrey Epstein case #Trump administration #2026 midterm elections #Hispanic Americans
📌 Key Takeaways
- Most Americans want decreased ICE deportation operations
- Views on immigration enforcement remain sharply partisan
- Public supports ICE asking for citizenship proof only with warrants or records
- Hispanic Americans are more likely to oppose the deportation program
📖 Full Retelling
A CBS News poll conducted between February 25-27, 2026, and published on March 2, 2026, reveals that most Americans believe nationwide ICE deportation operations should be decreased, continuing a partisan divide on immigration enforcement that has persisted for the past year, while also showing that nearly two-thirds of Americans are following news about the Jeffrey Epstein case with most expressing dissatisfaction toward the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files. The poll indicates that opinions on deportation operations remain sharply divided along partisan lines, with Republicans largely supporting increased enforcement while most Democrats and Independents favor decreased operations. Interestingly, those who do believe operations need to be increased tend to focus enforcement efforts more heavily on Democratic areas rather than Republican ones. The survey also reveals a complex public perspective on ICE's authority to request proof of citizenship, with a strong majority supporting such requests only when there is a warrant or existing record, but opposing blanket authority to ask anyone or specifically target racial minorities.
🏷️ Themes
Immigration policy, Partisan politics, Public opinion
📚 Related People & Topics
Epstein files
Files on Jeffrey Epstein and his affiliates
The Epstein files are a collection of millions of documents, images, and videos detailing the criminal activities of American financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including his social circle of public figures, politicians, and celebrities. The files are documents collected as ...
Entity Intersection Graph
Connections for Epstein files:
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Jeffrey Epstein
12 shared
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Ministry of justice
10 shared
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Donald Trump
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
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Mentioned Entities
Original Source
Politics CBS News poll finds views of deportation operations continue to divide the country By Anthony Salvanto Anthony Salvanto CBS News Director of Elections and Surveys Anthony Salvanto, Ph.D., is CBS News' executive director of elections and surveys. He oversees the CBS News Poll and all surveys across topics and heads the CBS News Decision Desk that estimates outcomes on election nights Read Full Bio Anthony Salvanto March 2, 2026 / 7:56 PM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Most Americans say nationwide ICE operations ought to be decreased — this is sharply partisan, as most views regarding the deportation program have been over the past year. Those who do think operations need to be increased tend to think it ought to be in Democratic areas more than Republican ones. For many months, one of the key components driving views on the deportation program was whether Americans thought it was prioritizing dangerous criminals (in which case they mostly supported it) or not (in which case they mostly did not). We see a similar dynamic in who Americans think ICE enforcement should or should not be able to stop and ask for proof of citizenship . A big majority think ICE officals should be able to ask for proof of citizenship from someone for whom there is a warrant or a record. Even among those who approve of the deportation program overall, most don't think ICE officials should be able to ask anyone they want for proof of their citizenship or those they believe to be racial minorities. Last summer, polling showed most Americans — including a large majority of Hispanics — felt that Hispanic people were being subject to more immigration and deportation searches than others. That view continues today. A majority of Hispanic Americans say they oppose the administration's deportation program, and that is the case for those who feel Hispanics are being subject to more searches. Politically, too, this may be something to watch heading into the 2026 midterm elections. The p...
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