An AP-NORC poll released on Tuesday cited immigration as a growing concern for all groups polled including Republicans, Democrats and independents. The poll was conducted in December, with 47 percent of respondents stating that immigration was the top issue for the government in 2025.

While the public is somewhat unified in its belief that immigration is a top issue, there is a stark divide between Republicans and Democrats in terms of their belief in the incoming Trump administration’s ability to address it. Roughly half of Republicans said they believe the US is moving in the right direction, with 35 percent more Republicans than Democrats stating they are confident in the federal government’s ability to address important issues.

The divide in respondents’ belief in the prospects of the US may be tied to the incoming Trump administration’s policies on immigration. President-elect Trump has stated that he plans to conduct the mass deportation of immigrants when he is in office. The ACLU notes that similar immigration policies at the local level have resulted in unconstitutional “racial profiling, suspicionless interrogations and arrests, unjustified and pretextual traffic stops, and warrantless searches of workplaces and homes.” Any mass deportation order could be considered unconstitutional if deportees are not afforded the due process of law, in accordance with the Fifth Amendment.

Trump has also stated that he will issue an executive order that forbids federal agencies from recognizing birthright citizenship. Instead, a child’s citizenship would be determined by the citizenship of their parents. This policy would likely contradict the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the US, regardless of the citizenship status of their parents.

The incoming president’s stance on immigration appears to be supported by the US House of Representatives, which passed a bill on Tuesday that requires the federal government to detain immigrants charged with “theft-related crimes”.

Immigrant advocacy and civil rights groups have been critical of Trump’s stance on immigration, emphasizing the need to support the increasing number of people displaced by conflicts and disasters.

A similar focus on mass deportation during Trump’s first presidency reportedly resulted in an increase in the number of criminals released by US Immigration and Customs due to the administration’s prioritization of the prosecution of asylum seekers over non-citizens charged with criminal offenses.