Trump’s Deportation Pledge Resonates Widely
Former President Donald Trump has been hitting the campaign trail hard, promising sweeping deportations of undocumented immigrants—a goal he championed during his first term but didn’t fully deliver. His rhetoric is striking a chord, according to a fresh Fox News Poll released Thursday.
Two-thirds of voters now back mass deportations, a figure unchanged since last December but up a notable 15 points from 2015 when the question debuted. Meanwhile, about one-third of voters aren’t on board with the policy.
Support for deporting those living in the U.S. illegally has climbed across nearly every demographic since 2015. The biggest jumps come from nonwhite voters (+24 points), Republicans (+21 points), rural voters (+20 points), urban voters (+19 points), and men (+16 points). Democrats, too, are warming to the idea, though their shift is more modest at 8 points.
On the flip side, the idea of letting undocumented immigrants with jobs stay and seek legal status is losing steam. Fifty-eight percent of voters favor this option, down 4 points from last year and 10 points since 2015. Republicans are leading the charge against it, with support dropping 28 points over the decade, while Democrats have nudged up 4 points in favor.
Immigration Ranks High Among Voter Priorities
Immigration is holding steady as a top-tier issue this election cycle, jockeying for attention alongside abortion and the economy—the latter reigning supreme. The Fox News survey pegs the economy as the number-one concern for 40% of voters, with immigration at 17% and abortion at 15%; no other issue cracks double digits.
For Trump’s backers, immigration (17%) and the economy (18%) are neck-and-neck as vote-drivers. Vice President Harris’s supporters, however, are motivated differently: 17% cite dislike of Trump, while 14% each point to abortion and protecting democracy. Immigration barely registers for them, at just 1%.
Trump holds a clear edge on the issue. Voters see him as better equipped to handle immigration by 15 points—a gain from his 10-point lead in September. This isn’t a fluke; he’s consistently outpaced both Harris and Biden on this front.
Yet, the presidential race remains tight, with Trump edging Harris 50% to 48% among registered and likely voters alike, a gap well within the poll’s margin of error. Part of the closeness? About 1 in 10 voters who prioritize immigration (9%) or trust Trump’s handling of it (13%) are still backing Harris.
Shifting Views on International Involvement
The poll also dips into international waters. On Ukraine’s war with Russia, 40% of voters now say the U.S. should dial back its involvement—up 5 points since May and 14 points from 2022. A quarter want more U.S. action, while a third think the current level is just right.
Views on Israel split three ways: 32% say the U.S. is too supportive, 29% say not supportive enough, and 35% call it balanced. Compared to November 2023, fewer see it as “about right” (down from 45% to 35%), while “not supportive enough” has risen (21% to 29%).
Trump shines here too, with a 13-point lead over Harris (55% to 42%) on handling Middle East conflicts, up from 7 points in September.
Conducted October 11-14, 2024, by Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), the survey tapped 1,110 registered voters via live calls (landlines: 129, cellphones: 719) or text-to-online responses (262).
With a ±3-point margin of error for both the full sample and the 870 likely voters, the results reflect a weighted blend of age, race, education, and region, drawing from sources like the American Community Survey and voter files.
Likely voters were identified using a model factoring in past voting, election interest, and demographics like age and education. Question phrasing and order could sway responses, but the data offers a snapshot of where voters stand as the race heats up.
