President Trump's immigration approval drops to new low, poll finds

Terry Collins, USA TODAY

Updated Tue, January 27, 2026 at 12:40 AM UTC

4 min read

American approval of President Donald Trump 's immigration policy dropped to its lowest level since his return to the White House, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found, amid growing backlash after federal immigration agents fatally shot two people in Minneapolis this month.

The poll, conducted nationwide Jan. 23 through Jan. 25, gathered responses before and after immigration officers on Jan. 24 killed a second U.S. citizen in Minneapolis during confrontations with protesters over Trump's deployment of immigration agents to cities across the United States. Fifty-three percent of Americans polled disapprove of the president's immigration policy , while 39% approve of the job Trump is doing on immigration, down from 41% in the prior Reuters/Ipsos poll this month.

The poll gathered responses from 1,139 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.

Mourners kneel at a makeshift memorial in the area where Alex Pretti was shot dead a day earlier by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car.

A mourner visits a makeshift memorial in the area where Alex Pretti was shot dead a day earlier by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car. His killing sparked new protests and impassioned demands by local leaders for the Trump administration to end its operation in the city.

A picture of Alex Pretti is left at a makeshift memorial in the area where Pretti was shot dead a day earlier by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car. His killing sparked new protests and impassioned demands by local leaders for the Trump administration to end its operation in the city.

Mourners gather at a makeshift memorial in the area where Alex Pretti was shot dead a day earlier by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan.25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car. His killing sparked new protests and impassioned demands by local leaders for the Trump administration to end its operation in the city.

A woman cries at a makeshift memorial in the area where 37-year-old Alex Pretti was shot dead by federal immigration agents earlier in the day in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 24, 2026. Federal immigration agents shot dead a man in Minneapolis on Saturday, in the second fatal shooting of a civilian during the Trump administration's unprecedented operation in the city, sparking fresh protests and outrage from state officials. The death came less than three weeks after US citizen Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer.

People mourn at a makeshift memorial in the area where 37-year-old Alex Pretti was shot dead by federal immigration agents earlier in the day in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 24, 2026. Federal immigration agents shot dead a man in Minneapolis on Saturday, in the second fatal shooting of a civilian during the Trump administration's unprecedented operation in the city, sparking fresh protests and outrage from state officials. The death came less than three weeks after US citizen Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer.

A woman prays at a makeshift memorial in the area where 37-year-old Alex Pretti was shot dead by federal immigration agents earlier in the day in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 24, 2026. Federal immigration agents shot dead a man in Minneapolis on Saturday, in the second fatal shooting of a civilian during the Trump administration's unprecedented operation in the city, sparking fresh protests and outrage from state officials. The death came less than three weeks after US citizen Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer.

People gather together during a candlelight vigil for Alex Pretti after he was shot and killed earlier in the day on Jan. 24, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Federal agents shot and killed Pretti amid a scuffle to arrest him. The Trump administration has sent a reported 3,000 federal agents into the area, with more on the way, as they make a push to arrest undocumented immigrants in the region.

People pay their respects during a candlelight vigil for Alex Pretti after he was shot and killed earlier in the day on Jan. 24, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Federal agents shot and killed Pretti amid a scuffle to arrest him. The Trump administration has sent a reported 3,000 federal agents into the area, with more on the way, as they make a push to arrest undocumented immigrants in the region.

Vigils held for Alex Pretti, killed in Border Patrol related shooting

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Mourners kneel at a makeshift memorial in the area where Alex Pretti was shot dead a day earlier by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car.

Immigration was a brighter spot for Trump's popularity in the weeks following his January inauguration. In Feb. 2025, 50% approved and 41% disapproved.

Trump won the 2024 presidential election after promising a historic surge in deportations . Masked immigration officers, often in tactical military-style gear, have become a common sight across the nation, and protests against the operations have erupted in several cities, including Minneapolis, where immigration agents have responded with deadly force.

ICU nurse Alex Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents in South Minneapolis on Jan. 24. Trump administration officials have accused Pretti, 37, a U.S. citizen, of assaulting officers during a protest in Minneapolis, though that account has appeared at odds with videos recorded by bystanders.

Earlier this month, Renee Nicole Good , 37, another U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by a federal agent in South Minneapolis on Jan. 7 during an immigration raid. Earlier on Jan. 26, Trump said he would send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to lead some operations on the ground.

'Your eyes don't lie.': Trump, ICE, a death and a turning point

Trump's overall approval rating also slides

Trump's overall approval rating also slid to 38%, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll , tying the lowest level of his current term, as it dropped from 41% in the prior Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Jan. 12 to Jan. 13.

The survey also found that about 58% of Americans polled said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have gone "too far" in their operations, while 12% said ICE had not gone far enough, and 26% said the agents' efforts were just "about right." About 9 in 10 Democrats said the agents have gone too far, compared to 2 in 10 Republicans and 6 in 10 independents.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Jan. 26 said Trump agreed to consider reducing the number of immigration agents in Minnesota and will ensure state investigators can independently probe the Pretti shooting by Border Patrol agents. Walz's office said in a statement that he had a "productive" call with the president about an hour after Trump himself said the two were on a "similar wavelength."

Growing backlash: Anger grows in Minneapolis a day after federal agents kill nurse

Republican lawmakers have increasingly called for investigations into the killing of Pretti as Democrats refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security despite the likelihood of a government shutdown .

Trump on Jan. 26 said he would send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to lead some operations on the ground. In Minneapolis, thousands of protesters braved subzero temperatures to decry the shooting and call for an end to the federal intervention.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Jan. 26 said he also spoke with Trump . The mayor said he "appreciated" the conversation.

"I expressed how much Minneapolis has benefited from our immigrant communities and was clear that my main ask is that Operation Metro Surge needs to end," Frey said. "The president agreed the present situation can’t continue."

The mayor said Minneapolis will continue to cooperate with state and federal law enforcement on "real criminal investigations ‒ but we will not participate in unconstitutional arrests of our neighbors or enforce federal immigration law."

Frey said he planned to meet with Homan on Jan. 27 "to further discuss next steps."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump's immigration approval falls to a record low: New poll

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Trump's overall approval rating also slides