New poll reveals whether Americans really think ICE should be abolished

A new poll has revealed how Americans really feel about ICE amid ongoing raids taking place across the country and the deaths of two civilians.

Donald Trump's 2024 campaign made the 47th president's stance on immigration clear: that his administration would clamp down on so-called illegal aliens in the US and deport them.

Trump pledged to 'carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history', and he's seemingly stuck to his word. According to data collected by NBC News, as of January 8 of this year, there were 68,990 migrants in ICE detention.

One city that's been hit particularly hard of late is Minneapolis. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem alleges that 10,000 people have been arrested in the Minnesota city and described these individuals as 'criminal illegal aliens who were killing Americans, hurting children and reigning terror', per a Homeland Security press release issued on January 19.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has continuously defended ICE's actions (Al Drago/Getty Images)

But during the raids and ICE protests, two US citizens have been fatally shot by federal agents. The two victims in question were named Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Their deaths have sparked nationwide controversy, something which has been reflected in a new YouGov poll.

One of the polls was conducted in the hours following Pretti's death on Saturday, January 24. In this particular poll, it was found that more Americans approve of the ongoing anti-ICE protests taking place.

Another poll carried out the day after Pretti was shot found that around half of respondents felt that he 37-year-old intensive care nurse's death was not justified, and only 20 percent said it was

The gap was larger in those who had seen footage of the incident, two thirds of whom felt that Pretti's shooting wasn't justified.

ICU nurse Alex Pretti was fatally shot on Saturday (Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty Images)

In the data published on January 24, it was found that 46 percent of Americans would support ICE being abolished. In contrast, 41 percent said they do not want the government agency to be dismantled.

There's a clear divide between how Democrats and Republicans feel about ICE.

Over three quarters of those who want it to be abolished identified themselves as Democrats.

Meanwhile, when respondents were asked about ICE officers being too forceful, 21 percent of Republicans felt they're not being forceful enough and 49 percent felt the amount of force currently being used is 'about right'.

In contrast, 90 percent of Democrats said ICE were acting too forcefully. Over all, this translated to be 58 percent of US adults feeling that ICE tactics are too violent.