Adelanto ICE Processing Center protest (File Photo – Erica Rosbe)
A majority of U.S. voters support providing government-funded attorneys to people who cannot afford one when facing deportation in immigration court, while a majority also say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has used too much force, according to a new national poll.
By News Desk
The YouGov survey, commissioned by the Vera Institute of Justice, was conducted June 26 through July 2 among 2,017 registered voters nationwide.
Support for Government-Funded Attorneys
Seventy-seven percent of voters support government-funded attorneys for people who cannot afford one, including those appearing in immigration court. Support crossed party lines, with 94% of Democrats, 77% of independents and 60% of Republicans in favor.
The poll also found that many voters do not understand the difference between the criminal and immigration court systems. Only 33% correctly said the government generally provides attorneys to people who cannot afford one in criminal court but not in immigration court. Forty percent incorrectly said government-funded attorneys are provided in both, while 22% were unsure.
Voters Prioritize the Economy Over Immigration
Economic concerns ranked ahead of immigration as voters’ top priorities. Cost of living and inflation was the most frequently cited issue, at 65%, followed by jobs and the economy at 45%. Healthcare policy, presidential power and authority, and wars and other international military conflicts rounded out the top five. Unauthorized immigration did not rank among the five most frequently cited issues.
Voters also generally viewed immigrants as beneficial to the economy. Fifty-seven percent said immigrants help the economy by contributing as consumers, starting businesses, filling critical jobs, paying taxes and bringing new ideas. Thirty-two percent said immigrants hurt the economy.
Concerns About ICE’s Use of Force and Detention
The poll found significant concerns about ICE’s use of force. Fifty-five percent said the agency has used too much force recently, compared with 12% who said it has used too little. That view was shared by nine in 10 Democrats and six in 10 independents.
Confidence in ICE was also limited. Twenty-seven percent said they had “a great deal” of confidence in the agency, while 51% said they had only a little confidence or none at all.
Nearly half of voters, 49%, said the number of people held in ICE immigration detention should be reduced. Eighteen percent said it should remain the same, and 19% said it should increase. Fifty-six percent said mandatory detention policies go too far.
The survey was weighted to represent U.S. registered voters based on demographic and geographic factors, as well as voting history. The reported margin of error was approximately 2.4 percentage points, not accounting for potential nonsampling errors.
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