Public sentiment towards Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is becoming increasingly negative, especially as its stringent operations have become a hallmark of Donald Trump’s second term. A recent survey conducted by Daily Mail/JL Partners reveals that ICE, part of the Department of Homeland Security, holds an approval rating of just 34 percent. This marks a decrease of four percentage points since October. The poll, which gathered responses from 1,246 registered voters online, shows that 45 percent disapprove of the agency’s actions.

The poll’s findings coincide with renewed criticism from influential podcaster Joe Rogan, who endorsed Trump in the 2024 election. Rogan recently criticized ICE’s aggressive raids, stating, “You got ICE raids, where they’re taking people that are American citizens and they’re scaring the [expletive] out of everybody,” during a November 18 podcast episode with Theo Von. Rogan and Von both attended Trump’s second inauguration. Numerous alarming accounts have surfaced, such as the case of Katie Paul, a 33-year-old British mother, who was detained by ICE agents in San Diego for allegedly overstaying her visa.

Paul’s ordeal began during a routine green card appointment at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services office, where she was unexpectedly handcuffed and arrested in front of her infant and American husband. ICE confirmed her detention, stating, “Individuals unlawfully present in the United States, including those out of status at federal sites such as USCIS offices, may face arrest, detention, and removal in accordance with US immigration law.” Despite these controversies, Trump’s firm stance on immigration remains a key reason for his continued support among followers. According to the Daily Mail/JL Partners survey, 59 percent of Trump supporters list his immigration policies as a top reason for their approval, even as overall support dwindles.

In an episode last month with comedian Duncan Trussell, Rogan called Trump’s ICE policies ‘horrific’ and added, ‘Everybody who has a heart sees that and goes, ‘That can’t be right’… Have some heart!’ Rogan is leading the chorus of conservative voices who are turning on the brutal tactics used by ICE to round up and deport illegal immigrants – specifically those who are not convicted criminals. The ICE issue is also hitting Trump’s approval rating, the new poll reveals.

Among the 55 percent who disapprove of Trump’s job as president, 41 percent of them put the actions of ICE and immigration enforcement as one of their top three reasons for the negative ranking. The Department of Homeland Security did not provide comment when reached by the Daily Mail about the slipping approval of ICE. Some of the criticism stems from the fact that ICE agents are covering their faces during raids.

But DHS insists their agents have every right to conceal their identities due to an increase in violence and threats against them for carrying out their duties with immigration enforcement. ICE launched Operation Charlotte’s Web this month sending agents into Charlotte, North Carolina to crack down on illegal immigration in the state’s largest hub for Latino and migrant communities. The operation began November 15, lasted five days and resulted in more than 250 arrests.

But it was highly controversial and gained national attention as agents targeted work places, churches, schools and public spaces for raids. It sparked protests and business closures with critics claiming agents engaged in racial profiling and went after non-violent workers and families. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles condemned the operation as an ‘invasion’ and limited cooperation with federal authorities. ICE maintains an ongoing presence in Charlotte though the surge has wound down. A similar operation is expected in New Orleans in December.

‘We’re watching the immigrant community be policed and surveilled inhumanely and without regard,’ immigration attorney Benjamin Peña told the Daily Mail. ‘I think that if you’re witnessing what’s happening, the human element plays a key role.’ The New York-based lawyer speculated that not ‘many Trump supporters imagined ICE operations would be this brutal on the immigration community.’ ‘I think these factors are slowly impacting even those who supported Trump. If his approval rating has been impacted, that could very likely be the reason why,’ Pena said.

Trump said that his administration would immediately target illegal immigrants with criminal records for arrest and deportation from the US. But Rogan, and others, have been critical of the focus on non-violent, working migrants. ‘They said, ‘We’re gonna get rid of the criminals and the gang members first’… And now we’re seeing, like, Home Depots get raided. Like, that’s crazy,’ Rogan said in a June episode.

He claimed that voters ‘wouldn’t have signed up’ for raids on sites like Home Depot or construction zones – where undocumented immigrants often seek for-cash jobs. A month late in a July episode he said: ‘It’s insane… the targeting of migrant workers—not cartel members, not gang members, not drug dealers. Just construction workers. Showing up in construction sites, raiding them. Gardeners. Like, really?’