Americans aren't yet sure what to make of Trump's immigration crackdown
A version of this story appeared in CNN's What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.
The American immigration drama offers a unique Rorschach test for the moment.
Do you find the deployment of troops to Los Angeles menacing or comforting?
When you see video of a US senator, Democrat Alex Padilla of California, being forcibly removed from a Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's press event, do you wonder what was he thinking or her people were thinking?
When you see employees in front of a meatpacking plant in Nebraska trying to block vehicles with masked federal agents driving off with scores of their coworkers, do you question President Donald Trump's dogged push for mass deportation or applaud it?
Are you more concerned about ICE raids targeting people who are trying to find work in front of Home Depot stores or who are employed in the garment district — or the protests those raids sparked?
When you see Vice President JD Vance posting memes making light of deporting people, do you find it funny or repulsive?
When you read that the most-followed person on TikTok, a Senegalese Italian comedian named Khaby Lame who has more than 162 million followers, may have been forced to leave the country a few weeks after attending the Met Gala, do you wonder how that's at all helpful or say good riddance?
Do you wonder why the government is charging the respected Los Angeles labor leader David Huerta after he was arrested in Los Angeles protests, or wonder why it wouldn't?
There's no question what Trump sees. Rather than seeing a response to ICE raids, he sees professional agitators. Trump has repeatedly said this week, while inflating the danger posed by protests, that protesters themselves are 'insurrectionists' and paid professionals.
He's ready to respond across the country.
'When it comes to Los Angeles — or other cities, if we see other cities are gearing up — and these people are agitators,' Trump said Thursday at the White House. 'They're paid. They're professionals. They're insurrectionists. They're troublemakers. They're all of those things. But I believe they're paid, and we're going to find out.'
There's no evidence to support the idea of a union of paid protesters, as CNN's Aaron Blake explained. But that hasn't stopped Trump from dispatching Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate.
unknown content item
-
If all this sounds familiar, the idea that protesters who oppose Trump are not real protesters has been a theme of his presidencies. Most recently, Elon Musk argued that it was paid protesters picketing outside Tesla dealerships earlier this year. Most of those events were peaceful, but there were instances of destruction, which should clearly be prosecuted along with any looting in Los Angeles.
How Americans ultimately view the ramping up of ICE raids and the resulting protests will have a lot to do with how Trump's second presidency proceeds.
Will they endorse the arrest of migrants in places like church parking lots and outside schools? And will they approve of the deportation of undocumented people who have been living and working in the US without committing crimes other than the civil offense of their arrival?
For now, the public is split over Trump's choice to send the National Guard and Marines to respond to the protests in Los Angeles, according to a new one-day survey from the Washington Post and George Mason University's Schar School conducted on Tuesday.
Forty-four percent oppose Trump's choice to send in the National Guard and Marines, while 41% support it and 15% say they are unsure how they feel about it, although CNN's Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta noted that one-day polls can be subject to larger errors than those conducted over a number of days.
One of the poll's noteworthy findings is that political independents break more toward opposition — 48% oppose Trump's actions, compared with 33% who support them and 19% who are unsure.
A lot of people are also still making up their minds about the protests themselves. About one-fifth, 21%, said they are unsure if they support or oppose them.
Americans aren't yet sure what to make of this.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
25 minutes ago
- New York Times
Here Are Some of the Southern California Immigration Raids From the Past Week
Tension has been growing for months over the Trump administration's aggressive efforts to deport people who remain in the United States illegally. But the situation escalated in Los Angeles about a week ago. After protesters converged on immigration raids and demonstrated against U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials, President Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops to the city. While the focus has turned to ensuing protests in downtown Los Angeles and the heavy military response — the call-up has since increased to 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines — ICE agents have continued immigration raids each day in Southern California. It is difficult to have a comprehensive picture of the ICE efforts because the agency does not issue a list of people who have been detained each day nor the locations where they were taken from, and authorities did not confirm the number of raids they conducted in California this week. But residents, immigrant rights groups and elected leaders have cobbled together accounts of ICE workplace raids that they describe as indiscriminate attempts to find anyone who might be undocumented. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBS News
34 minutes ago
- CBS News
Denton County sheriff warns protesters: "Cross the line and it will be met with consequences"
As protests continue across North Texas, one sheriff is making it clear that while peaceful demonstrations are protected, any acts of violence or property damage will be met with swift consequences. Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree posted a strongly worded message on social media this week, emphasizing his department's preparedness and willingness to act. Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree Denton County "The citizens of Denton County pay me to keep the peace ... they also pay me to kick some a** if necessary," Murphree said in a Facebook post. As of Friday evening, the post had received more than 2,100 reactions, 240 comments and 1,000 shares. Four of the at least 15 "No Kings" anti-Trump protests planned in North Texas are scheduled to take place in Denton County: Denton Denton Square – 110 W. Hickory St. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Denton Square – 110 W. Hickory St. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Frisco FM 423 and Old Newman Road 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. FM 423 and Old Newman Road 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. Flower Mound FM 1171 sidewalks between FM 2499 and Morriss Road 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. FM 1171 sidewalks between FM 2499 and Morriss Road 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Sanger Sanger Square – Sanger 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Murphree's full statement reads as follows: "The right to peaceful assembly is a sacred right guaranteed to all Americans. Let me be clear, this is not California. We will not tolerate destruction of property, nor will we stand idly by and allow it to take place. "Any violence towards any of my officers will be met with force. If my officers feel they are in imminent danger of death or injury the violence will be met with deadly force. We will protect the life and property of our citizens. We will protect our lives. "My deputies have been advised to not back down to do their duty and arrest those who violate the law. The citizens of Denton County pay me to keep the peace ... they also pay me to kick some a** if necessary. Protest til your hearts content. Cross the line and it will be met with consequences." Murphree, a former Texas Ranger, has been the Denton County sheriff since 2017. He was first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020 and 2024.
40 minutes ago
Why thousands of NCAA athletes might wait over a year for share of $2.8 billion settlement
The attorney who negotiated the $2.8 billion legal settlement for the NCAA said Friday that thousands of former athletes due to receive damages could have to wait months or maybe more than a year to get paid while appeals play out. Rakesh Kilaru, who served as the NCAA's lead counsel for the House settlement that was approved last week, told The Associated Press an appeal on Title IX grounds filed this week will hold up payments due to around 390,000 athletes who signed on to the class-action settlement. He said he has seen appeals take up to 18 months in the California-based federal court where this case is playing out, though that isn't necessarily what he expects. 'I will say that we, and I'm sure the plaintiffs, are going to push,' Kilaru said. A schedule filed this week calls for briefs related to the appeal to be filed by Oct. 3. Kilaru doesn't expect anyone on the defendant or plaintiff side to file for extensions in the case 'because every day the appeal goes on is a day damages don't go to the student-athletes.' He said while the appeal is ongoing, the NCAA will pay the money into a fund that will be ready to go when needed. The other critical parts of the settlement -- the part that allows each school to share up to $20.5 million in revenue with current players and set up an enforcement arm to regulate it -- are in effect regardless of appeals. 'I think everyone thought it was important and good for this new structure to start working because it does have a lot of benefits for students,' Kilaru said. 'But it's very common for damages to be delayed in this way for the simple reason that you don't want to make payments to people that you can't recover' if the appeal is successful. A group of eight female athletes filed the appeal. Their attorney, Ashlyn Hare, said they supported settlement of the case 'but not an inaccurate one that violates federal law.' "The calculation of past damages is based on an error that ignores Title IX and deprives female athletes of $1.1 billion,' Hare said. Kilaru agreed with plaintiff attorneys who have argued that Title IX violations are outside the scope of the lawsuit. Other objections to the settlement came from athletes who said they were damaged by roster limits set by the terms. One attorney representing a group of those objectors, Steven Molo, said they were reviewing Wilken's decision and exploring options.
