A recent poll indicates that a significant number of California voters express strong disapproval of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and feel that the state’s criticism is unjustified.
The results, which were shared on Sunday, reveal an emotional reaction towards immigration enforcement. Around 64% of voters described their feelings in response to images and news reports of such actions as anger or sadness.
A striking 91% of Democrats reported feelings of rage or sorrow. On the other hand, 65% of Republicans expressed hope that “justice is finally being served.”
The poll, conducted by UC Berkeley’s Government Research Institute for the Los Angeles Times, asked a range of questions regarding state enforcement approaches and the administration’s immigration policies, highlighting partisan divides.
Democrats appear to be almost entirely against President Trump’s immigration strategies. While most Republicans support him, there seems to be less coherence among them compared to the opposition.
“It’s noteworthy how strongly Democrats are reacting negatively to these policies,” said Mark DiCamillo, who oversees the polling at Berkeley IGS. “I don’t usually see such intense responses in polls.”
According to the poll, about 69% of those surveyed disapprove of how immigration enforcement is being managed in California.
A staggering 95% of Democrats disapprove, while 72% of politically independent individuals and 79% of unaffiliated voters share similar sentiments. Among Republicans, this figure sits at 79%.
Interestingly, a question regarding whether federal agents should present clear identification while performing their duties showed the least unified opinion among Republican respondents. This relates to instances where immigration agents appear in unmarked vehicles and without clear identifiers.
About 50% of Republicans agreed with this notion, in stark contrast to 92% of Democrats.
G. Cristina Mora, co-director of IGS and a sociology professor at UC Berkeley, contributed to the poll design. She noted that Republicans exhibit more nuanced views compared to Democrats, with divisions evident on questions regarding due process and immigration laws.
“The Republican perspective on immigration appears to be much more fragmented,” Mora commented.
With regards to recent controversies, there’s been pushback on Trump’s policy that rolled back previous restrictions on arrests in sensitive locations like schools and hospitals. This has sparked significant concern within immigrant communities.
Schools in Los Angeles have instituted “safe zones,” making adjustments to bus routes to keep students away from immigration enforcement. A recent incident involving an 18-year-old high school senior who was detained while walking his family’s dogs underscores the tension.
Mora expressed her belief that California Republicans perceive the Trump administration’s tactics with varying degrees of acceptability. Some may think immigrants with violent criminal backgrounds should be deported, yet the show of force by immigration agents can push them into a gray area of disapproval.
Mike Madrid, a political consultant, pointed out the difficulties for Trump in this situation. “It feels more like overreach than effective control of immigration,” he mentioned, highlighting the unpopularity of implementation.
In contrasting views, a notable percentage of Republicans support the Trump administration’s proposal to eliminate birthright citizenship. A reported 67% of GOP respondents approve this proposal, while a significant 92% of Democrats disapprove.
Mora expressed surprise that Latino voters were less opposed to these immigration actions than other racial groups. While 69% of Latinos indicated that immigration enforcement targets their community unfairly, this is only marginally higher than the 64% of non-white voters who agreed.
This indicates that Latinos tend to view their experiences in a more individualized way rather than through a purely racial lens, she explained.
Overall, 72% of Latino voters oppose the Trump administration’s immigration policies in California, with a small fraction expressing approval.
Subgroups within the Latino demographic show interesting trends: older men and those in later generations express varying degrees of support and disapproval regarding immigration enforcement, with younger voters more likely to oppose these actions.
There appears to be an evolving sentiment among Latino Republicans, as Madrid indicates that support is waning following a period of high engagement in previous elections. The crucial aspect will be whether Trump’s approval ratings among Latinos can recover enough to influence future elections.
As he puts it, “We’re not there yet.”
