{UAH} 66% OF AMERICANS SUPPORT DEPORTING IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE IN US ILLEGALLY

Majority of Americans support deporting immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally

However, new Axios/Ipsos poll also finds that support declines when specific policies to carry out mass deportations are outlined

21 January 2025

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Washington, D.C., January 19, 2025 – A new Axios/Ipsos poll finds that a majority of Americans support deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally as a general concept. However, that support drops significantly if caveats are added describing specific mechanisms to conduct those deportations, such as separating families or sending people to countries other than their country of origin, using active-duty military, or using money allocated to the U.S. military to pay for deportation. Partisan splits exist, as Republicans are significantly more likely to support deportations under any condition than Democrats or independents.

Detailed findings

1. Two-thirds of Americans support deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally. However there is very little support for deporting legal immigrants.

·        Sixty-six percent support deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally. Republicans (93%) are more likely to show support than Democrats (43%) and independents (67%).

·        Few Americans (11%) support deporting immigrants who are in the country legally.

2. While support exists for deportations on a general level, it declines considerably as specific policies or outcomes to achieve the deportations are included.

·        Just 38% of Americans support using active duty military to find and detain undocumented immigrants. In the same vein, only 28% support using money allocated to the U.S. military to pay for deportation.

·        A third of Americans show support for quickly deporting detained immigrants, even if it involves separating families or sending people to countries other than their country of origin (34%), and deporting immigrants that came to the U.S. illegally as children (34%).

·        Few Americans strongly support each of these measures:

o   Using active duty military to find and detain undocumented immigrants in U.S. cities and towns (16%)

o   Quickly deporting detained immigrants, even if it involves separating families or sending people to countries other than their country of origin (16%)

o   Deporting immigrants that came to the U.S. illegally as children (14%)

o   Using money allocated to the U.S. military to pay for deportation (8%)

·        Similar to generally deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally, Republicans are significantly more likely to support these measures than Democrats and independents.

About the Study

This Axios/Ipsos poll was conducted by Ipsos from January 10 to January 12, 2025, using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,025 adults age 18 or older. The sample includes 301 Republicans, 309 Democrats, and 294 independents.

The survey was conducted using KnowledgePanel, the largest and most well-established online probability-based panel that is representative of the adult U.S. population. Our recruitment process employs a scientifically developed addressed-based sampling methodology using the latest Delivery Sequence File of the USPS – a database with full coverage of all delivery points in the U.S. Households invited to join the panel are randomly selected from all available households in the U.S. Persons in the sampled households are invited to join and participate in the panel. Those selected who do not already have internet access are provided a tablet and internet connection at no cost to the panel member. Those who join the panel and who are selected to participate in a survey are sent a unique password-protected log-in used to complete surveys online. As a result of our recruitment and sampling methodologies, samples from KnowledgePanel cover all households regardless of their phone or internet status and findings can be reported with a margin of sampling error and projected to the general population.

The study was conducted in English. The data for the total sample were weighted to adjust for gender by age, race/ethnicity, education, Census region, metropolitan status, and household income. Party ID benchmarks are from the 2024 NPORS annual survey. The demographic benchmarks came from the 2023 March Supplement of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

·        Gender (Male, Female) by Age (18–29, 30–44, 45-59 and 60+)

·        Race/Hispanic Ethnicity (White Non-Hispanic, Black Non-Hispanic, Other, Non-Hispanic, Hispanic, 2+ Races, Non-Hispanic)

·        Education (Less than High School, High School, Some College, Bachelor or higher)

·        Census Region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West)

·        Metropolitan status (Metro, non-Metro)

·        Household Income (Under $25,000, $25,000-$49,999, $50,000-$74,999, $75,000-$99,999, $100,000-$149,999, $150,000+)

·        Party ID (Democrat, Lean Democrat, Republican, Lean Republican, Independent/Something else)

The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of adults. The margin of sampling error takes into account the design effect, which was 1.08. For Republicans, the margin of sampling error is plus or minus 5.8 percentage points, and the design effect is 1.06. For Democrats, the margin of sampling error is plus or minus 5.8 percentage points, and the design effect is 1.09. For independents, the margin of sampling error is plus or minus 5.9 percentage points, and the design effect is 1.08.

The margin of sampling error is higher and varies for results based on sub-samples. In our reporting of the findings, percentage points are rounded off to the nearest whole number. As a result, percentages in a given table column may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. In questions that permit multiple responses, columns may total substantially more than 100%, depending on the number of different responses offered by each respondent.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Chris Jackson
Senior Vice President, US
Public Affairs
+1 202 420-2025
Chris.Jackson@ipsos.com

Mallory Newall
Vice President, US
Public Affairs
+1 202 374-2613
Mallory.Newall@ipsos.com 

About Ipsos

Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing over 18,000 people.

Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques.

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