ICE's 'cratering' polling data leaves critics stunned as agency becomes 'radioactive'

Recent polling conducted in the wake of the fatal ICE shooting in Minnesota last week shows that support among Americans for Immigration and Customs Enforcement has plummeted, and at such a rate as to leave online critics stunned at how the agency has now become “politically toxic.”

“ICE is not doing well,” wrote X user “HistoryBoomer,” who runs the political commentary Substack “Stuff Happens.” “Midterms will be interesting.”

Recent polling has shown that a majority of Americans now disapprove of ICE. A new YouGov poll found that 52% of Americans disapprove of ICE, and a Quinnipiac poll found that 57% disapproved. Furthermore, a plurality of Americans now support abolishing the federal agency entirely.

“The most stunning [alarm] for the Trump administration: ICE is now politically toxic,” wrote Democratic strategist Matt McDermott in a social media post on X Friday. “2 in 3 independents and even 1 in 4 Republicans view it negatively. Not sure a federal agency has ever become this radioactive this fast.”

As for the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good, 52% of Americans said the shooting wasn’t justified, compared with 36% who said it was justified, according to a recent Data For Progress poll, though the results were split along party lines. Just 8% of Democrats said Good’s killing was justified, compared with 68% of Republicans who backed the shooting.

“Support for Trump’s Immigration crackdown is cratering as chaos from ICE and [Customs and Border Protection] enforcement turns off more and more Americans,” wrote X user “Maine,” a self-described “radical centrist” political commentator who’s amassed more than 108,000 followers.