Poll shows rising support for deporting criminal migrants across parties

A new Harvard/Harris poll shows increased support among registered voters for deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. The survey of 1,725 registered voters, conducted May 29-30, found 80 percent favor removing those who are in the country illegally and have broken the law. That figure is five points higher than the 75 percent recorded in an April poll by the same organizations.

Support by party Support for deporting criminal migrants rose across party lines.

Among Democrats the share climbed from 63 percent in April to 71 percent in May. Republican backing edged up from 89 percent to 90 percent, while independent support moved from 73 percent to 79 percent. Voters were also asked about deporting all illegal immigrants regardless of criminal record.

Overall support stood at 56 percent, one point above the April result. Democrats registered a four-point increase on this broader question, rising to 37 percent. Independent support grew from 49 percent to 53 percent, while Republican support declined from 80 percent to 77 percent.

Context on enforcement The poll was conducted for the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University by The Harris Poll and Harris X, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 points. Department of Homeland Security figures released last month showed more than 3 million illegal immigrants have left the United States or been removed since January 20, 2025.

Of those, 2.2 million participated in a self-deportation program and roughly 900,000 were formally deported. The agency also reported 900,000 arrests of illegal immigrants inside the country as of May.