What independents think of Trump's recent immigration actions, according to a new AP-NORC poll

WASHINGTON (AP) — About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say President Donald Trump has “gone too far” in sending federal immigration agents into American cities, according to a new AP-NORC poll that suggests political independents are increasingly uncomfortable with his tactics.

Views of Trump's handling of immigration — which fell over the course of his first year — remained steady over the past month, with about 4 in 10 saying they approve of the president's approach. But the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research also found that the Republican Party's advantage on Trump's signature political issue has shrunk since October.

About 3 in 10 U.S. adults trust Republicans to do a better job handling immigration, while a similar share say the same of Democrats. An additional 3 in 10, roughly, don't think either party would do a better job handling the issue, and about 1 in 10 say both parties would handle it equally well.

The Republican president's core supporters remain overwhelmingly supportive of Trump's immigration tactics. But there are signs that more independents think he's going too far.

“I am glad that immigrants aren’t just flooding across the border, but what he’s doing now in our cities, pitting the military against our people, these are gestapo tactics,” said independent Brenda Shaw, a 65-year-old human resources manager from South Haven, Michigan. “They’re shooting U.S. citizens in the face and in the back."

The new polling comes as the nation watches the human impact of Trump's crackdown in Minneapolis, where thousands of heavily armed masked agents descended upon the city to find and remove immigrants in the country illegally. The administration announced Thursday that it would end its operation there, saying it had left the state safer than before.

There have also been violent clashes with protesters, including two U.S. citizens killed by federal agents. About 6 in 10 Americans believe that Trump has “gone too far” when using federal law enforcement at public protests in U.S. cities, the poll found.

While about 9 in 10 Democrats and about 7 in 10 independents say Trump has “gone too far” in sending federal immigration agents into U.S. cities and using federal law enforcement at public protests, only about one-quarter of Republicans agree.

According to the new survey, about half of Republicans say that Trump’s actions have been “about right,” while about one-quarter of Republicans say he hasn’t gone far enough. Their support for the president hasn't wavered despite the chaos in Minneapolis.

Teviss Crawford, a 20-year-old student from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said he's pleased with Trump's leadership on immigration, although he wishes the president could find a way to deport more immigrants who are in the country illegally.

“I don’t think the deportations have been enough, to be honest. I think it’s much too lax,” he said of Trump's crackdown. “If you crossed into our country illegally, it’s just not right. You’re taking things away from people who were born here."

Crawford added that Trump "should be focusing on violent criminals, but the violent criminals are probably harder to find.”

Despite their strong support for Trump, Republicans are increasingly alone in supporting Trump on his immigration enforcement tactics.

Trump’s approval on immigration appears to have fallen among independents since last spring, from 37% in March 2025 to 23% in the new poll. There is greater variability in surveying small groups, like independents, which creates more uncertainty about the magnitude of changes. About 6 in 10 independents now say Trump has “gone too far” in deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, an apparent increase from 46% in an AP-NORC poll in April.

Most U.S. adults, including independents, have an unfavorable view of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly referred to as ICE. Overall, only about 3 in 10 U.S. adults have a favorable view of the agency, the AP-NORC poll found.

There is an large partisan gap, with independents much closer to Democrats than Republicans. Only about 1 in 10 Democrats and roughly 2 in 10 independents have a favorable view of ICE, compared to about 7 in 10 Republicans.

“Having the border shut, that’s OK. But what Trump is doing with ICE and Homeland Security? You don’t go yanking people out of cars. You don’t go shooting people,” said independent Rick Kinnett, a 60-year-old Navy veteran from Crawfordsville, Indiana.

“I spent eight years in the military. This is not what I signed up for,” he said. “This is not what we’re supposed to do. This is not constitutional.”

Trump’s approval on immigration has not moved since January despite a month of immigration-related turmoil.

About 38% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s handling of immigration more broadly, in line with an January AP-NORC poll conducted just after the death of Renee Good, the first U.S. citizen in Minnesota killed by federal agents.

The president's overall approval rating has declined slightly since the beginning of his second term and remains low.

Overall, 36% of U.S. adults say they approve of the way Trump is handling the presidency. His approval ratings on the economy and foreign policy are similar to his overall approval and functionally unchanged from January.

Historically, such numbers would push members of a president's party to distance themselves from him — especially heading into a midterm election season. However, Trump's allies in Washington and in state capitals across the nation remain overwhelmingly united behind him, reflecting consistently strong support from Republicans in the polls.

But Trump's immigration approach seems to be a particularly sore spot for independents. While he appears to have slid with independents on immigration, Trump's approval on the economy — the other signature issue where he's recently been criticized for failing to deliver on campaign promises — is similar to where it was last spring.

And the narrowing of Republicans' advantage on immigration is a warning sign for Trump's party. In October, 39% of U.S. adults said they trusted the Republicans to better handle immigration, while 26% said that about the Democrats, giving the GOP a 13-point edge. In the new poll, the difference between the parties is only 4 points.

“What he’s doing with ICE is the worst thing right now. I would say the economy is the second worst thing,” said Shaw, the human resources manager from Michigan. “I’m getting ready to retire and I’m wondering how I’m going to make it.”

“But I’m blessed,” she added. “I don't have to hide in the basement because my skin is brown.”

The AP-NORC poll of 1,156 adults was conducted Feb. 5-8 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

People participate in an anti-ICE protest outside of the Governors Residence, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

FILE - Observers film while federal agents conduct immigration enforcement operations Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy, File)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo says he’s healthy and wants to play even as the Milwaukee Bucks continue to say the two-time MVP is too injured to take the floor.

Antetokounmpo missed a 10th straight game on Friday night against the Boston Celtics due to what the team has described as a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since landing awkwardly during a March 15 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

“I’m healthy,” Antetokounmpo told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Athletic before Friday’s game. “I hate it when people force me to do things against my nature. I’m a player. I get paid to play.”

For the last couple of weeks, Antetokounmpo has participated in pregame warmups without showing any apparent signs of injury.

Antetokounmpo also noted that the Bucks should have known this about him since the 31-year-old has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee.

Throughout that time, Antetokounmpo has had a reputation for rapid returns from injury, most notably when he hyperextended his knee during Milwaukee’s 2021 playoff run but missed two games before returning to lead the Bucks to their first title in half a century.

“You know who you’re dealing with,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “So, for somebody to come and tell me to not play or to not compete, it’s like a slap in my face.”

The Bucks still had a remote chance of earning a 10th straight playoff berth at the time of that Indiana game, but they were officially eliminated from contention last week. There’s also the possibility of Antetokounmpo getting hurt again if he returns to action — he has missed a career-high 41 games this season and had two extended absences due to calf strains.

“I understand the circumstances — yes, we’re not going to be in the playoffs,” Antetokounmpo said. “For some people’s eyes, it’s not worth it for me to be out there. But for me, it’s something that goes against my nature.”

Antetokounmpo also wanted the opportunity to play alongside his younger brother, Alex, who made his NBA debut Sunday. There was a possibility of three Antetokounmpo brothers playing alongside each other in the same game, since Giannis’ older brother, Thanasis, also is on the Bucks.

“When my dad passed away, I pretty much raised (Alex),” Antetokounmpo said. “He’s able to be on the team and suit up and chase an opportunity to be great. You really think I don’t want to suit up and play with my brother? Anybody who thinks that is an idiot.”

Antetokounmpo’s desire to play — and the Bucks’ wishes to rest him — drew the attention of the National Basketball Players Association last month.

“The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court,” the union said in a statement. “Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking.”

This dispute between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks comes at a time when his future in Milwaukee is uncertain. Antetokounmpo’s name dominated league-wide discussions leading up to the trade deadline, though the Bucks ultimately kept him.

Antetokounmpo becomes eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth up to $275 million in October. If he doesn’t sign the extension, Antetokounmpo could become a free agent after the 2026-27 season, or the Bucks could decide to trade him beforehand.

Now they find themselves at odds over how to handle the rest of this season.

“I don’t know where the relationship goes from there,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’ve got to go to couples therapy.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Injured Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, center right, talks with an official, center left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)