CBS Poll: Majority Call ICE Tactics 'Too Tough' as Noem Defends Minnesota Operations and Dismisses Judge’s Limits
CBS’s national poll finds a slim majority (61%, up from 56% in November) saying ICE’s stop‑and‑detain operations are "too tough" and increasingly view raids as making communities less safe, with waning support for the administration’s deportation program and sharp partisan splits over the Renee Good shooting. On Face the Nation, Noem defended the Minnesota surge—calling it a nearly 3,000‑agent, crime‑targeted operation and saying a judge’s limits “didn’t change anything”—while disputing DHS conviction figures and facing political blowback as GOP advisers, some lawmakers and swing voters urge recalibration amid conflicting accounts of an injured ICE agent and concerns the raids target more than dangerous criminals.
📌 Key Facts
- A CBS News poll finds 61% of Americans now describe ICE’s stop‑and‑detain operations as “too tough,” up from 56% in November, and a slim majority say ICE operations make communities less safe in the areas where they occur; the same poll shows support for Trump’s deportation program has fallen to its lowest point of his second term, though Republicans and MAGA identifiers still back it strongly.
- The CBS poll and related reporting show partisan divisions over the Renee Good (Minneapolis) shooting: Republicans are more likely to call the shooting justified while Democrats and independents are more likely to say it was not, and most respondents do not view the administration’s response as fair.
- Public sentiment and poll data indicate growing belief that the administration is deporting more than just “dangerous criminals” and is not prioritizing violent offenders as promised.
- DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, on Face the Nation, defended the Minnesota ICE operations—calling them the largest in DHS history with nearly 3,000 federal agents, saying every detainee had “committed a crime” and that 70% had violent charges or convictions—and in a tense exchange she disputed CBS’s use of DHS data (a 47% conviction rate) and accused the network of lying.
- Fox News reported a new federal detail that the ICE agent struck by Renee Good’s vehicle suffered internal bleeding to the torso, a DHS account that directly clashed with local commentary (Mayor Frey) minimizing the injuries; that detail could shape public perceptions about whether the shooting was self‑defense or excessive force.
- Axios reporting shows political fallout inside the GOP: private Trump‑team polling found many independents and undecided voters think Trump is “too focused” on deportations and that a significant share believe he is deporting law‑abiding people; some senior advisers are quietly discussing “recalibrating” the administration’s immigration approach, and Republican lawmakers privately warn the Minnesota operations are politically damaging and overshadowing the campaign’s cost‑of‑living message.
- Other national polls cited by Axios (CNN, YouGov, AP) similarly find broad concern that ICE actions make cities less safe and low approval for Trump’s immigration policy (AP: 38%), and public commentary — including high‑profile critics likening the raids to “Gestapo” tactics — has amplified the controversy.
- NPR focus groups of 14 Pennsylvania 2024 Trump voters who backed Biden in 2020 found mixed views: 6 said ICE has gone “too far,” 8 said it was getting things about right, none said it hadn’t gone far enough; awareness of the Renee Good shooting was high and blame was split (4 blame Good, 5 the ICE agent, 4 both), only 2 blamed Trump for the deployments, and all opposed using force to seize Greenland and wanted the president to focus more on the domestic economy.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
A storm is brewing
"A Playbook analysis ties an imminent, disruptive winter storm to compressed Congressional deadlines and pairs that short‑term logistical pressure with new polling showing public unease about the administration’s high‑visibility ICE operations—arguing the combined effects risk splintering Trump’s 2026 coalition unless Republicans shift toward a narrower, public‑safety message."
📰 Source Timeline (7)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 22, 2026
10:00 AM
Some voters who backed Trump say ICE is going 'too far'
New information:
- NPR-observed focus groups of 14 Pennsylvania voters who backed Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024 show 6 think ICE has gone 'too far,' 8 say ICE is 'getting things about right,' and none say it has 'not gone far enough.'
- Among these swing voters, awareness of the Renee Macklin Good shooting is high, and blame is divided: 4 blame Good, 5 the ICE agent, and 4 both equally.
- Only 2 of the 14 voters attribute any blame to Trump despite his deployment of federal agents to Minnesota, but all 14 oppose using force to acquire Greenland and want him to focus more on the domestic economy than foreign adventures.
January 18, 2026
5:02 PM
Noem defends Minnesota ICE operations, says judge's order "didn't change anything"
New information:
- The poll numbers are explicitly tied in this article to Noem’s defense of Minnesota operations on 'Face the Nation,' creating a direct contrast between DHS’s position and public sentiment.
- The story specifies that 61% of Americans now describe ICE’s stop‑and‑detain operations as 'too tough,' and situates that as an increase from 56% in November, as context for reaction to Good’s killing.
- Noem is pressed on the polling in real time and nonetheless insists ICE is simply 'enforcing the law' as charged by President Trump.
4:55 PM
Transcript: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan"
New information:
- On 'Face the Nation,' Noem reiterates that the Minneapolis‑area surge involves 'nearly 3,000' federal agents and calls it 'the largest operation' in DHS history, sharpening the scale that CBS’s own polling has been probing.
- She publicly insists that every detainee has 'committed a crime' and claims 70% have violent charges or convictions, a framing that sits alongside CBS’s polling data showing 61% of Americans think ICE tactics are 'too tough' and that they target more than just dangerous criminals.
- In direct exchange with CBS’s anchor, she accuses the network of 'lying' about DHS’s numbers when confronted with a 47% conviction rate from DHS data, turning the pollster–interview subject relationship into a dispute over basic facts.
1:34 PM
CBS News poll finds more Americans say ICE being too tough
New information:
- CBS national polling now finds more Americans describe ICE’s stopping and detaining practices as 'too tough,' and a slim majority say ICE operations are making communities less safe in the areas where they occur.
- Support for Trump’s deportation program has dipped to its lowest point of his second term, even though Republicans, and especially MAGA identifiers, still back it strongly.
- The public increasingly believes the administration is trying to deport more than just 'dangerous criminals' and is not prioritizing such offenders as much as promised.
- Views of the Renee Good shooting in Minneapolis are sharply partisan, with Republicans more likely to call it justified and Democrats and independents saying it was not, and most respondents saying they do not see the administration’s response as fair.
- The same CBS poll shows overwhelming opposition across party lines to using U.S. military force to seize Greenland and broad pessimism about potential military action in Iran, with most Americans expecting any Iran intervention to be long and costly.
January 16, 2026
10:44 AM
Trump's immigration erosion worries his team
New information:
- Axios reports private GOP polling reviewed by Trump’s team in late December showing 60% of independents and 58% of undecided voters think Trump is 'too focused' on deportations, and one‑third believe he is mainly deporting law‑abiding people.
- The piece says some senior Trump advisers are now quietly talking about 'recalibrating' the administration’s immigration approach because of the political damage from televised Minnesota raids, though it is unclear what changes Trump would accept.
- Axios notes that two new national polls (CNN and YouGov) find most Americans now believe ICE makes cities less safe, and an AP poll shows only 38% approve of Trump’s immigration policy; Joe Rogan, a past Trump endorser, is quoted likening the raids to 'Gestapo' tactics.
- Republican lawmakers have privately raised concerns with the White House that the Minnesota operations are politically damaging and are overshadowing Trump’s cost‑of‑living message heading into the 2026 midterms.
January 14, 2026
5:14 PM
ICE agent struck by Renee Good's vehicle suffered internal bleeding to torso, DHS says
New information:
- Supplies a new federal detail about the officer’s injuries that could shape public perceptions of whether the Minneapolis shooting was self-defense or excessive force.
- Highlights a direct factual clash between local commentary (Frey minimizing injuries) and DHS’s account of internal bleeding.
January 09, 2026