Shocking New Poll Shows Voters are Ready to ‘Shut Down’ ICE

A new national survey shows something Washington never expected: Americans may be ready to pull the plug on ICE.

An Economist-YouGov poll released Tuesday found that 46 percent of Americans now support abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Only 43 percent want to keep it. Another 12 percent say they’re unsure, stunned by a week of ruthless headlines and a killing that ignited coast-to-coast protests.

The shift comes after ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot 37-year-old mother of three, Renee Good, during an immigration operation in Minneapolis on January 7. Her death lit a firestorm the administration is still struggling to contain.

According to investigators, Good was inside her Honda Pilot when Ross approached. Witnesses say another ICE agent was already struggling at her driver’s side door. Ross positioned himself near her front tire. He fired once through the windshield. Then twice through the window. Good died in the front seat.

Her friends say she had been “terrified” of ICE enforcement under President Donald Trump’s second administration. A coworker told reporters, “Renee just wanted to get her kids to school and stay out of trouble. She never imagined this.”

The administration quickly defended Ross. President Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told conservative outlets that Good was a “domestic terrorist” who tried to run Ross over. Protesters immediately accused officials of pushing a narrative without evidence.

The FBI then seized control of the investigation, leaving local police locked out. That move only deepened suspicion.

Vice President JD Vance publicly declared Ross had “absolute immunity.” One former federal prosecutor told our newsroom, “No one has absolute immunity for shooting a civilian. That statement alone is breathtaking.”

The new poll marks one of the most dramatic reversals in public sentiment toward a federal agency in recent memory.

Back in September 2024, only 19 percent of Americans supported eliminating ICE, according to Civiqs. That number rose steadily after Trump returned to office in January 2025. Still, it never surpassed opposition until now.

“People simply hit their limit,” said political analyst Karen Rich. “This was the moment the country turned.”

Among the poll’s findings:

• 50 percent say Good’s killing was not justified.
• Only 30 percent believe it was.
• 71 percent want local law enforcement included in the investigation.
• 47 percent say ICE makes America less safe.
• And nearly half say they have “very little” confidence in the agency.

Progressive Democrats have long called for abolishing ICE. Now, moderates appear shaky too.

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut told reporters he believes Congress must confront ICE’s growing autonomy. “I’m just not interested in funding an agency that is operating outside the law and making our communities less safe,” he said.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin agreed, saying ICE’s budget should be “part of every conversation” as the government races toward a January 30 funding deadline.

ICE’s budget is expected to surge to $170 billion this year under the massive One Big Beautiful Bill. That number alarmed several members of Congress even before Good’s killing.

Still, Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have sidestepped the question of whether they back abolishing ICE. One staffer privately admitted, “Leadership doesn’t want to get ahead of public opinion. But public opinion just moved.”

The outrage has reached far beyond Minneapolis. American expats in London held a candlelight vigil outside the U.S. Embassy, placing photos of Good on the sidewalk surrounded by hundreds of small, glowing candles. “She could have been any one of us,” said one attendee. “This is not the America we grew up believing in.”

Back home, protests have erupted from Portland to Miami. Demonstrators chant the same phrase: “Say her name. Renee Good.”

Whether the momentum lasts remains unclear. But the poll ensures one thing: the political battle over ICE, already fierce, is now entering a new and unpredictable phase.

“People are done being afraid,” said Minneapolis organizer Trina Lopez at a weekend rally. “They want answers. They want accountability. And they want this agency gone.”