As court fights and local pushback continue to shape how immigration rules are carried out across the country, the White House is trying to settle the argument with numbers it says reflect where most voters stand.
At a daily briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cited a new Harvard Harris poll as evidence that Americans broadly approve of President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement and deportation plans, arguing that Democrats and parts of the news media are working to discredit the administration’s approach.
Leavitt told reporters the survey results show “overwhelming support” for removing undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of crimes. In the figures she highlighted, close to 80% of respondents said immigrants in the United States unlawfully who also have criminal records should be deported.
She added that, beyond that, the poll also indicates a majority of the public favors deporting people who are in the country illegally even when their only violation is entering or remaining without authorization.
Leavitt also leaned on the poll to argue that Americans want tighter coordination between federal immigration officials and local governments. Describing it as a “common sense” expectation, she said more than two-thirds of those surveyed support requirements that state and local authorities hand over undocumented immigrants who are in custody—particularly individuals being held in local jails—to federal agencies so deportation cases can proceed.
Her remarks come as the administration’s enforcement strategy faces political resistance and legal disputes, including friction with states and cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration agents under so-called “sanctuary” policies.
The Trump administration has cast its crackdown as a public-safety effort aimed at shielding “law-abiding citizens” from crimes it links to illegal immigration. Opponents counter that sweeping deportation programs can splinter families, unsettle neighborhoods and raise concerns about due process.
With immigration expected to remain a defining issue in 2026, the White House is increasingly pointing to polling like the Harvard Harris survey to argue that public sentiment is on the president’s side.
