America's anti-immigrant fever is starting to break

Despite President Donald Trump's decade-long demonization of immigrants, an overwhelming majority of Americans are rejecting his message. A new Gallup poll shows that 798 of those polled - a record high - say immigration is good for the country, with only 178 saying it is bad. And the number of Americans who want less immigration is dropping fast.

- Patricia Lopez, Tribune News Service

Only 30% now support more restrictions, compared to 55% in 2024. These findings come against the backdrop of the cruelest crackdown on immigration in modern history and may indicate that America’s anti-immigrant fever is breaking.

Trump, however, just keeps doubling down. He now is on the cusp of building ICE into a domestic army with massive detention capabilities. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said this week that the public should expect more raids in more states. “We're going to come harder and faster, and we're going to take these criminals down with even more strength than we ever have before,” she said, even though ICE’s own data shows the vast majority of those arrested - 72% - have no criminal records.

Perhaps that’s why Americans are turning away from the notion that immigrants constitute an invading force to be repelled and removed.

That shift extends to Independents and Republicans. One of the most startling findings in the Gallup poll shows that 64% of Republicans say immigration is a net benefit to the country. Just a year ago that figure stood at 39%.