Is ICE wrongly arresting US citizens? Here’s what Americans say in new poll

On the 2024 campaign trail, President Donald Trump vowed to launch what he called the “largest deportation program in American history.”

Now — nearly one year after his election — many Americans are uneasy with how this pledge is being pursued, expressing concerns about the scale and intensity of Trump’s immigration crackdown, according to a new YouGov poll.

In the survey, most respondents said they believe U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have wrongly arrested U.S. citizens and half describe their tactics as too forceful.

It comes as ICE arrests have dramatically increased in recent months and as a record-breaking number of people have been placed in detention centers, according to an analysis from NBC News.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in September that 400,000 non-citizens have been deported since January, with 1.6 million more having self-deported, putting the administration on pace to “shatter historic records.”

Many Republicans have applauded the immigration crackdown, crediting Trump with following through with his campaign promises. House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X, “House Republicans are united behind our brave ICE officers and all those on the frontlines of the largest deportation effort in history.”

Meanwhile, numerous Democrats have attacked recent enforcement measures, with Rep. Rashida Tlaib accusing ICE of “ripping people out of the arms of their family members, terrorizing our communities, and turning our country into a fascist police state.”

ICE arresting US citizens

In the poll — which sampled 2,295 U.S. adults on Oct. 6 — respondents were asked: “How often do you think ICE wrongly arrests U.S. citizens?”

A majority, 60%, said immigration agents arrest American citizens often (35%) or sometimes (25%). Half that share said they detain citizens rarely (24%) or never (6%). An additional 11% said they were not sure.

This question resulted in a significant partisan divide. Most Democrats and independents — 89% and 62%, respectively — said ICE agents arrest U.S. citizens often or sometimes, while 57% of Republicans said this happens rarely or not at all.

Since January, at least 15 American citizens have been apprehended by ICE, with some being swept away by masked agents and detained for hours, according to a September analysis by the New York Times. This figure represents a small fraction of overall detentions, though the exact number is difficult to determine since the government does not release data on such encounters.

DHS described this report as false and misleading.

“We have said it a million times: ICE does NOT arrest or deport U.S. citizens,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Any U.S. citizens arrested are because of obstructing or assaulting law enforcement.”

Is ICE targeting criminals?

The YouGov poll — which has a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points — also asked respondents: “Do you think most immigrants being arrested by ICE are people who have committed crimes beyond entering or staying in the country illegally?”

A plurality, 48%, said that they believed most of those arrested have not committed other crimes, while 29% said they have. Twenty-three percent said they were not sure.

Here, again, there were massive differences across the political spectrum.

Most Democrats and independents — 76% and 51%, respectively — said the majority of those apprehended haven’t committed crimes aside from entering the U.S. illegally. Fifty-six percent of Republicans said they had violated the law in other ways.

Trump has vowed to deport “the worst of the worst,” with a focus on “dangerous criminals,” including murderers and rapists. But, government detention data paints a different picture.

As of late June, about 58,000 people were in ICE detention facilities, according to the Associated Press. Of these individuals, 71.7% had not been convicted of a crime. About one-quarter of them had pending charges.

ICE tactics

Lastly, respondents were asked to describe the tactics being used by ICE agents.

Fifty percent said their methods are “too forceful,” while 25% said they are “about right” and 15% said they are “not forceful enough.” An additional 11% said they weren’t sure.

Most Democrats and independents — 84% and 52%, respectively — characterized ICE tactics as excessive. Meanwhile, a plurality of Republicans, 44%, said they are appropriate.

Across the country, ICE raids have sparked multiple reports of agents resorting to excessive force against detainees and bystanders, resulting in some lawsuits.

In September, an ICE officer was captured on video shoving a mother onto the floor of a courthouse in New York, according to CNN. She was hospitalized and the officer was “relieved of his current duties.”

In California, a 79-year-old U.S. citizen claimed he was tackled to the ground by ICE agents, resulting in broken bones and signs of brain injury, according to the Associated Press. He filed a $50 million lawsuit against the government.

In response, a DHS spokesperson accused him of impeding an ICE operation.

“If you lay a hand on our law enforcement, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X on Sept. 19.

This story was originally published October 7, 2025 at 10:03 AM with the headline "Is ICE wrongly arresting US citizens? Here’s what Americans say in new poll."