Immigration is President Donald Trump’s strongest issue with his own party — and it isn’t close. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that about 80% of Republicans approve of the way Trump is handling immigration, outpacing his marks on the economy, health care, and Iran.
The finding lands as the White House continues to make border security and interior enforcement the centerpiece of Trump’s second term. Among Republicans, immigration is the issue where the base rallies behind the president most firmly, even after a stretch of controversy over aggressive enforcement operations.
What the Poll Found
Roughly 80% of Republicans said they approve of Trump’s handling of immigration. That figure sits above the 71% who approve of his approach to health care and the 69% who back him on the economy. In other words, the border is the ground on which Republican voters are most united behind the president.
The picture changes dramatically when the survey widens to all U.S. adults. Just 39% of Americans overall approve of Trump on immigration, down from 49% at the start of his second term. Only 32% approve of his handling of the economy, a drop from 40% earlier in the year, and about 30% approve of how Immigration and Customs Enforcement is carrying out its operations.
The poll surveyed 1,165 adults from July 23 to 27, drawing from NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel. It carries a margin of error of about 3.7 percentage points overall, with wider margins for partisan subgroups.
Why Immigration Holds Up
Immigration has been the throughline of Trump’s political identity since he first entered the race in 2015, and the new numbers suggest that connection remains intact with Republican voters. Even as approval on the economy has softened amid concerns over prices and jobs, the border issue continues to deliver the president his most reliable support at home.
That durability is notable given the friction of recent months. High-profile ICE encounters and expanded enforcement have generated headlines and legal challenges, and the survey shows only about three in ten Americans overall approve of how those operations are being run. Yet within the Republican coalition, the enforcement-first approach appears to be a feature, not a liability.
Reactions and Implications
For supporters, the poll is evidence that the president is delivering on the promise that first defined his campaigns. They point to immigration as the clearest example of Trump doing what he said he would do, and the party’s near-unanimous approval reflects that.
Critics read the same data differently. They see approval numbers sliding across nearly every issue among the broader public — immigration included — and argue that the enthusiasm is increasingly confined to the base. With his economic marks under pressure and overall approval on immigration below 40%, the gap between Republican loyalty and national skepticism is widening.
What This Means for Americans
The split matters because immigration is shaping up to be a defining fault line heading into the rest of the year and the next round of elections. Where voters land on border policy increasingly signals where they land on the presidency itself. For families watching enforcement play out in their communities and for those weighing the economy against every other concern, the poll is a snapshot of a country that sees the same president in very different ways.
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