Poll Shows Growing Support for Deportations as Debate Continues Over Who Is Being Removed
A new Harvard/Harris poll finds 80% of voters support deporting immigrants who have committed crimes, up from 75% in April, with Democratic support rising 8 points to 71%. The findings come alongside an ABC News analysis reporting that only 3% of roughly 400,000 migrants detained under the Trump administration had a violent felony conviction. The polling and enforcement data together reflect an ongoing national debate over the scope and targeting of immigration enforcement.
The Harvard/Harris poll, conducted May 29–30 among 1,725 registered voters, found broad and growing support for deporting criminal migrants across party lines, with the sharpest increase among Democrats. Support for deporting all undocumented immigrants regardless of criminal record was more modest at 56%, though Democratic support for that position also rose four points to 37%. Separately, an ABC News analysis of government data found that only 3% of approximately 400,000 migrants detained during the first 14 months of the Trump administration had a violent felony conviction, a finding the Department of Homeland Security disputed, arguing that many detainees without U.S. criminal records are nonetheless gang members, terrorists, or human rights abusers. DHS has reported that more than 3 million undocumented immigrants have left the U.S. or been deported since President Trump took office in January 2025, including 2.2 million self-deportations facilitated through a DHS app offering cash stipends and free flights home. The two data points — rising public support for enforcement and questions about who is actually being detained — sit at the center of a broader political and policy dispute over how immigration enforcement priorities should be defined.
What's missing
Independent verification of DHS's reported deportation and self-deportation figures has not been provided by the sources.
How coverage differed
The New York Post framed the Harvard/Harris poll results as validating the Trump administration's immigration approach, emphasizing Democratic movement toward supporting deportations. Breitbart dismissed the ABC News analysis of detention data as advocacy against enforcement, characterizing concern over non-violent detainees as tantamount to supporting open borders, while largely ignoring the underlying statistical findings.
What different sources said
- BreitbartFar Right
ABC News Complains: Only Three Percent of Deported Migrants Are Violent Felons
- New York PostRight
More Democrats support mass deportations, removal of criminal migrants, new poll shows
Related
Hasan Piker Campaigns for DSA-Backed NYC Candidates, Sparking Debate Over Democratic Party Direction
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker rallied in Brooklyn for two Democratic Socialist of America-endorsed congressional candidates ahead of New York's June 23 primary, declaring the country is 'closer than ever' to socialism. The appearances come amid a broader debate within the Democratic Party over whether to embrace or distance itself from Piker, whose pro-Palestinian views and provocative statements have made him a polarizing figure. The controversy highlights a growing tension between the party's centrist establishment and its increasingly left-leaning base, particularly on foreign policy.
Fire Rescue Victoria Has Missed Emergency Response Targets Every Year Since 2020, With Outer Suburbs Worst Affected
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) has failed to meet its target of responding to 90 per cent of structural fires within seven minutes and 42 seconds in every year since its formation in 2020, with outer suburban areas recording the worst performance. The shortfall has come into sharp focus following the death of three-year-old Jordan Dashwood in a Werribee house fire this month, where the nearest FRV truck was committed to another incident and the first responders arrived well outside the benchmark time. The findings raise serious questions about whether the 2020 fire services restructure has been adequately resourced to protect Melbourne's rapidly growing outer suburbs.
Elephant Urinates on Floor at Texas GOP Convention After Governor Abbott's Keynote
An African elephant named Paige urinated on the convention floor at the Texas Republican Party gathering in Houston on Friday, shortly after Governor Greg Abbott delivered his keynote address. The 9-foot-tall, roughly 9,000-pound elephant from the East Texas Elephant Experience was brought in as a surprise attraction, adorned in red, white, and blue regalia and an Abbott campaign banner. The incident went viral on social media, drawing both mockery and animal welfare concerns.