By Sandy Fitzgerald | Thursday, April 16, 2026
Seventy percent of Republican voters support a policy of deporting all illegal immigrants, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey released Thursday, underscoring a sharp partisan divide on immigration.
The poll found that 44% of likely U.S. voters overall favor deporting all illegal immigrants, including 24% who strongly support such a policy. By comparison, 51% back legislation granting amnesty and allowing illegal immigrants to become permanent residents. Support for deportation policies is significantly lower among Democrats and independents: 35% of Democrats and 37% of independent voters endorse the approach.
Meanwhile, 73% of Democrats support amnesty legislation, while 65% of Republicans oppose it, highlighting widening gaps between parties on immigration policy. The survey also reveals that 79% of voters consider immigration important to their vote choice—47% view it as very important—with 57% among these voters backing deportation policies.
The findings come amid renewed debate after Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) introduced legislation critics claim would provide amnesty to illegal immigrants. Demographic differences are evident: men support deportation more than women, and older voters lean toward deportation while younger voters favor amnesty. Among 2024 voters, 70% of those who supported President Donald Trump endorse deportation policies, compared with 68% of supporters of former Vice President Kamala Harris backing amnesty legislation.
The survey of 1,007 likely voters was conducted April 9–13, 2026, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
