Washington, DC — Earlier this week, we highlighted how President Trump is, “doing what he always does when things aren’t going his way,” namely, “lashing out at immigrants” in vile ways while advancing a harmful and chaotic immigration agenda.
Yet even on Trump’s signature immigration issue, Americans are recoiling and pushing back in response to his spiraling chaos – as seen in fresh AP/NORC polling reminding of the unpopularity of mass deportation to the Trump administration’s high-profile legal losses in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case to the viral exchange about deporting veterans during DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s disastrous congressional hearing.
According to Joanna Kuebler, America’s Voice Director of Programs, “Rather than listening to the resounding messages and priorities of the American people, President Trump and his administration are doubling down on chaos, escalating their ugly lies about immigrants and proposing ever more destructive immigration ideas. Take Trump’s latest scam – the ‘gold’ and ‘platinum’ visa cards that would let billionaires buy into America at the same time the administration is deporting hard-working immigrant neighbors who are part of the rich fabric of our nation. Little wonder a strong majority of Americans say Trump has gone too far – which is exactly why the Trump team is losing on immigration in federal courts, congressional hearing rooms, and kitchen tables across America.”
- AP/NORC polling: Americans disapprove of Trump on immigration by 60-38% margin. In March, the same poll found the public divided on immigration, with 50-49% disapproval. The trendlines continue to echo the key points in the AV recent polling memo (here) and the immigration takeaways from the 2025 elections, when the public overwhelmingly stated that the mass deportation agenda had “gone too far.”
- Congressional pushback – including Sec. Noem’s disastrous hearing moment about deporting U.S. military veterans: Numerous Members of Congress pushed back against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during a hearing yesterday, including the viral moment when she was challenged by Rep. Seth Magaziner on the subject of deporting military veterans. Rep. Magaziner featured on remote Zoom access Sae Joon Park, a Purple Heart–decorated Army veteran who was deported under a removal order, undercutting the administration’s claim that it has not deported military veterans.
- Trump administration loses in federal court on their signature Kilmar Abrego Garcia high-profile case: A federal judge ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and stopped the Trump administration from re-detaining him, ruling that the government lacked legal authority to hold him and his detention violated due process.
- Gold card scheme and social media plans indicative of chaotic immigration agenda increasingly out of step with Americans: Even as public opposition grows, Trump continues to push chaotic and harmful immigration proposals, from a ‘gold card’ that would let billionaires buy their way into the United States to the administration’s plan to monitor immigrants’ and tourists’ social media activity.
