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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a polling divide: 80% of Republicans approve of how ICE is carrying out its duties. Only 5% of Democrats approve.
The numbers are from a new national Marquette Law School poll. Overall the numbers are 40% approve of ICE and 60% disapprove.
This is the type of poll that could be easily manipulated by the questions that are asked. If pollsters asked “Does a mob have the right to interfere with law enforcement activities?” and “Is it appropriate to throw things or attack a law enforcement agent?” The answers would overwhelmingly come back “no.”
While I’m skeptical of polls overall, these results tell me something important.
The clock is now ticking for the Trump administration. They now have only two weeks to negotiate a new funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. There will be operational changes for ICE as part of the deal. They should be strategic. There are two areas of obvious surrender. ICE agents should be required to wear body cameras. The footage we’d see when demonstrators engage with ICE agents would be shocking. And such illegal behavior should be documented. And ICE agents should not be marauding through the streets looking for random people to arrest. If a law enforcement agent came up to me and asked for “my papers” I’d tell them where they could stick it.
But there is another side to the issue. In the upcoming midterm elections and in the 2028 presidential election, the talking point will be abolishing ICE and ending meaningful immigration enforcement. It will actually be a litmus test for all Democrat candidates. Donald Trump must realize this. Immigration enforcement may be coming to an end in the next two to four years. The strategy should be to step up ICE actions that do have public support. Focus on the worst of the worst. Hunt down violent criminals who are in the country illegally. Next on the list are those who’ve ignored deportation orders.
Donald Trump must realize that after the next election, even those obvious, modest goals might become politically difficult or impossible. It saddens me to say it, but Trump must do as much as possible before time runs out.
Chris Conley
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