PoliticsNew Poll Finds Overwhelming Majority of Americans Have Negative View Toward ICE
A new poll found ICE with a -21 percent approval rating.
Oct. 27 2026, Published 1:20 p.m. ET
A year of violent immigration enforcement operations, deportations and protests have soured Americans on ICE, according to a new poll.
Per data published by the Pew Research Center on October 26, the already controversial agency is more unpopular than it's ever been.
ICE's Popularity Tanked in 2026
ICE's popularity tanked after a year of chaos.
ICE was the least popular out of 12 federal agencies polled in Pew's survey of 5,062 adults at the end of September and beginning of October — just before a recent string of harrowing stories about ICE shooting people in their cars and running over pedestrians.
According to Pew's data, 56 percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of ICE, while only 35 percent view the agency favorably. Nine percent responded that they were undecided.
The agency's numbers are down among all political parties since the survey was last taken in 2025.
Republicans Are Less Favorable Toward ICE
Republicans are also growing sick of ICE.
In 2025, ICE had a 4 percent disapproval rate against a 40 percent approval rate.
After a year that included the killings of multiple U.S. citizens by immigration officers, including the Minnesota killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, ICE's -9 percent approval rating ballooned to -21 percent.
The agency's already brutal disapproval rate among Democrats went from 78 to 84 percent, but notably, the agency is losing support among Republicans.
Republican support for ICE went from 72 to 67 percent over the course of the last year. Disapproval ticked up from 21 to 23 percent while undecideds went up from 7 to 9 percent.
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ICE Loses People of Color
People of color have turned on ICE.
ICE's popularity has tanked with people of color.
Pew found that Blacks, Hispanics and Asians all have "substantially more negative" views about ICE than they did a year ago. Furthermore, White adults have flipped on ICE, going from giving it a +3 percent approval rating in 2025 to a -7 percent rating in 2026.
Notably, Hispanic Republicans are almost twice as likely to have a negative view of ICE than White Republicans, but White Democrats have a slightly higher disapproval rating of ICE than Democratic ethnic groups.
ICE's Unpopularity Looms Ahead of Midterms
Abdul El-Sayed is among the politicians calling to replace ICE.
ICE is one of three federal agencies who scored unfavorably in Pew's poll, along with the IRS and the Department of Justice. The National Park Service had the highest favorability rating in the poll.
The poll comes out as campaigning politicians wrestle with messaging about ICE. Democrats are voicing demand for a massive overhaul of the agency at the very least, while progressives call for abolishing the agency altogether.
Republicans have continued to voice support for the agency, though whether to their benefit or detriment remains to be seen at the 2026 midterms.
