President Donald Trump’s hardline deportation campaign is beginning to unsettle members of his own party, with growing concern that the approach could hurt Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.
As the midterms draw closer, GOP lawmakers, candidates, strategists and people close to the White House are warning that the administration’s mass deportations — and the constant media coverage of raids, arrests of U.S. citizens and clashes between protesters and federal agents — risk alienating swing voters and jeopardizing the party’s slim House majority.
Some Republicans see the problem as one of communication. Others believe the policy itself is driving voter unease.
“If we don’t change our approach, it will hurt the midterms, for sure,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), who has announced he will not seek reelection.
A new POLITICO poll highlights the concern. Nearly half of Americans, 49 percent, say Trump’s mass deportation campaign is too aggressive. That includes one in five voters who supported him in 2024. More than one-third of Trump voters say they back the goals of the policy but disapprove of how it is being carried out.
Trump campaigned on removing millions of undocumented immigrants while tying border policy to violent crime in U.S. cities. The White House has since pushed immigration officials to meet deportation targets, an effort that goes beyond focusing solely on violent offenders.
But the public appears far less supportive of such a broad approach. In the poll, 38 percent of Americans said deportations should prioritize immigrants who have committed serious crimes, while 21 percent said the government should only deport serious criminals. The survey was conducted Jan. 16–19, after an ICE agent killed Renee Good in Minneapolis. A second federal officer-involved shooting occurred in the city on Saturday, though details remain limited.
“ICE should focus on the bad hombres. The bad hombres, that’s it, not the cleaning ladies,” said Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.). “One thing is the gardeners, another thing is the gangsters. One thing is the cooks, the other thing is the coyotes.”
The White House has continued its heavy enforcement presence in Minneapolis, betting that the issue is perception rather than policy. Trump said this week that his administration needs to better highlight the criminals arrested during the Minnesota operation.
A person close to the White House said Republicans need to keep the focus on public safety, criminal arrests and border security, warning that the party risks losing support among moderate Republicans, independents, Latinos, and young voters.
“Do I think we have to be a little bit smarter about it? I don’t think there’s any question about it,” the person said. “The reason why crime is down across the country, especially in these Democratic states and these blue cities, is because of one thing — the only thing that changed is President Trump’s policies.”
Overall, most Trump voters still support the deportation campaign. Fifty-five percent say the actions are “about right,” according to the POLITICO Poll with Public First. But there is a clear divide within his coalition. Among Trump voters who do not identify as MAGA, 29 percent say the campaign is too aggressive, and 43 percent say they support the goals but not the implementation.
The unease extends to strategists.
“They are going to be worried about, OK, is ICE using excessive force? Are they going after, you know, moms and dads that have a clean record?” said GOP strategist Brendan Steinhauser. “I don’t think that plays well with independents and moderates. I don’t think it plays well with center-right Republicans.”
Some Republicans in battleground districts are trying to balance support for immigration enforcement with calls for restraint.
“ICE exists to carry out laws passed by Congress, and in that sense, its role is necessary, but at the same time, enforcement must be professional and targeted and humane,” said Republican candidate Trinh Ha. “What’s happening right now underscores why enforcement must always be paired with restraint and accountability.”
The White House has defended the policy. A spokesperson said the administration’s focus remains on the “worst of the worst,” including people convicted of violent crimes, and argued there would be less need for aggressive enforcement if Democratic-led cities cooperated more.
Trump himself has acknowledged concerns about perception. On Truth Social, he urged DHS and ICE to better publicize the “murderers and other criminals” they are detaining. At a recent press briefing, he flipped through photos of immigrants who had committed crimes.
“Because Minnesota is so much in the fray, and I say to my people all the time — and they’re so busy doing other things — ‘they don’t say it like they should,’” Trump said. “They are apprehending murderers and drug dealers, a lot of bad people. … I say why don’t you talk about that? Because people don’t know.”
Vice President JD Vance, visiting Minneapolis this week, said he wanted to “lower the temperature” while blaming local officials and far-left agitators for unrest.
“We want to be able to enforce the immigration laws on the one hand, while on the other hand, we want to make sure the people in Minneapolis are able to go about their day,” he said.
Whether the administration’s messaging shift will be enough remains unclear. While many Republicans believe the party still holds an advantage on immigration, others warn that the voters most energized by aggressive enforcement are not the same voters who decide close national elections.
Immigration ranks below economic issues for most voters. Only 21 percent cited illegal immigration as a top concern, compared with half who cited the cost of living. But as enforcement continues to dominate headlines, discomfort among swing voters and soft Trump supporters appears to be growing.
“I’d reframe the ‘raids’ narrative,” said Buzz Jacobs, a Republican strategist and former White House immigration policy director. “The reality is that most enforcement activity is routine and never becomes a headline.”