Fox News Poll: Majority of Voters Believe Immigration Enforcement Has Exceeded Limits

<p>A majority of 53% of registered voters believe that the Trump administration’s enforcement of immigration laws has gone too far, according to a Fox News poll conducted from September 11-14, 2026. This sentiment has remained consistent since June 2025.</p><p>The remaining voters are divided, with 23% stating that enforcement has not gone far enough and another 23% believing it is just about right.</p><p>The results show a clear division along party lines: 87% of Democrats and 60% of independents feel that enforcement has exceeded limits, while Republicans are more evenly split, with 40% saying enforcement has not gone far enough and 43% feeling it is adequate.</p><p>Among those who believe enforcement has gone too far, 45% attribute this to the government using excessive force, while 49% argue that the wrong individuals are being targeted.</p><p>Democrats are more likely to cite targeting the wrong individuals (by 7 points), whereas independents lean towards the view of excessive force (by 2 points). There are not enough Republicans indicating that enforcement has gone too far to draw significant conclusions.</p><p>President Trump’s approval rating regarding immigration stands at 43%, a decrease from a peak of 48% last summer.</p><p>Historically, voters have favored Republicans over Democrats in handling immigration, but that advantage has diminished, with current support nearly equal at 48% for Democrats and 49% for Republicans. Independents are supporting Democrats over Republicans by 6 points, and 15% of non-MAGA Republicans prefer the Democratic stance.</p><p>Daron Shaw, a GOP pollster involved in the survey, stated, "The immigration issue has been defined in terms of border security since the Biden years. But voters now think of immigration policy as ICE crackdowns, and many say these have been too aggressive."</p><p>Despite only 8% of voters identifying immigration as their top priority, it ranks just behind the cost of living (34%) and the broader economy (14%) as significant issues facing the country.</p><p>Additionally, nearly two-thirds of voters (63%) agree that a child born to an illegal immigrant in the United States should automatically become a citizen. While support has decreased from previous highs of around 67-69%, it remains significantly higher than the low of 45% recorded in 2006.</p><p>Partisan views on birthright citizenship show that approximately 90% of Democrats and 60% of independents support it, while 60% of Republicans oppose it.</p><p>Among Hispanic voters, two-thirds disapprove of Trump’s overall job performance and his handling of immigration, favoring Democrats over Republicans by 19 points. Additionally, 60% of Hispanic voters believe immigration enforcement has gone too far, and three-quarters support guaranteed citizenship for those born in the U.S. to illegal immigrant parents.</p><p>The Fox News survey included interviews with a sample of 1,211 registered voters, with a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points.</p>