ICE tactics divide US voters ahead of the Nov 3 midterms

Registered voters who say the crackdown went too far

53 %

In a September poll, 53 per cent of registered US voters said President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown had gone too far, including 60 per cent of independents and two-thirds of Hispanic respondents.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in September it had made more than 50,000 immigration arrests in each of two consecutive months, beating a June record of 43,900.

Homeland Security says about 70 per cent of its detainees are criminals if pending charges are counted. The Deportation Data Project, which analyzes government data, finds about 70 per cent of those held have no criminal record.

“Mr President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far.”

— Maria Elvira Salazar, Republican congresswoman, Florida

Why it matters

Among Hispanic voters who backed Trump in 2024, his approval fell from 93 per cent at the start of 2025 to 57 per cent, according to the Pew Research Center.