US President Donald Trump wants mass deportations, but U.S. views of immigration are more positive since he took office

PARROTVOICE – Just months after President Donald Trump returned to office with promises of mass deportations, a new Gallup poll shows a significant rise in the number of Americans who view immigration positively, including a notable shift among Republicans.
According to the poll, 79% of U.S. adults now say immigration is “a good thing” for the country, up from 64% a year ago, marking the highest level recorded in nearly 25 years. Only 20% now see immigration as negative, a sharp drop from 32% last year.
During President Joe Biden’s administration, skepticism toward immigration grew, hitting its peak just before Trump resumed office. But the latest polling indicates that Americans are once again leaning toward pro-immigration views, potentially challenging Trump’s renewed deportation agenda. Over the past year, attitudes toward immigration policy have shifted dramatically even among Republicans, who not only report greater satisfaction with current immigration levels under Trump but also show increased backing for citizenship pathways for undocumented immigrants.
The broader trend reflects a nation that is far more welcoming toward immigrants than in previous decades, with Republicans and independents driving much of the recent shift.
Roughly two-thirds of Republicans now say immigrants are beneficial for the country a dramatic rise from just 39% a year ago. Among independents, support has climbed from about 66% to 80%. Democrats have consistently remained strongly pro-immigration.
Since Trump returned to power, more Republicans say they are content with current immigration levels. The share of Americans who want to see immigration levels reduced has dropped from 55% to 30%. Although fewer people now support reducing immigration, the majority still prefer keeping numbers steady rather than increasing them. About 40% favor maintaining current levels, while 26% support an increase.
Interestingly, the once-hardline anti-immigration stance that energized Republicans before the last election appears to be softening. The percentage of Republicans who want immigration reduced has fallen from 88% to 48%. Today, nearly 4 in 10 Republicans say immigration should stay at its current level, and around 10% are open to increasing it.
Much of this shift may be credited to the Trump administration’s tough enforcement policies, which may have reassured conservative voters. However, Gallup also found that Republicans are increasingly supportive of giving undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship a position that diverges from Trump’s usual rhetoric.
Overall, a vast majority of Americans 85% support allowing undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to gain citizenship if they meet specific criteria. A similar percentage also support offering legal status to all undocumented immigrants who fulfill certain conditions.
This rise in support for legalization is most evident among Republicans, 60% of whom now back pathways to citizenship up from 46% last year. Support remains consistently strong among Democrats and independents.
Meanwhile, the desire to deport undocumented immigrants has declined modestly. Now, about 4 in 10 Americans support deportation, down slightly from the previous year’s levels.