A new national poll has been released from AtlasIntel, one of the most accurate and consistently reliable pollsters in recent years. It was conducted between July 13 – July 18, 2025, and reveals a sharp public backlash against the Republican Party’s immigration agenda, particularly former President Donald Trump’s signature hardline policies. Immigration, once considered a political strength for the GOP, now appears to be a growing liability heading into the 2026 midterms and beyond.
According to the poll, Trump’s overall handling of immigration receives poor marks from voters. Just 44% approve of the way he is addressing immigration, while 52% disapprove. This leaves him with a net disapproval of -8 points on an issue long touted as central to his political identity.
But it’s not just the general approval numbers that are alarming for the GOP, it’s the public’s rejection of specific policy proposals. A clear majority of respondents oppose hallmark Trump-era immigration tactics. For example, 71% oppose family separation policies at the border. Sixty percent reject mass deportation of all undocumented immigrants, even those without a criminal record. And 54% oppose mass workplace raids aimed at detaining undocumented workers. These numbers suggest that while voters may want border security, they are strongly pushing back against strategies they view as punitive or inhumane.
Interestingly, more moderate or pragmatic immigration solutions appear to enjoy strong bipartisan support. Sixty-one percent of Americans support a path to citizenship for long-term undocumented immigrants, indicating a willingness to balance enforcement with compassion. Similarly, 59% back making the E-Verify system mandatory nationwide to ensure that businesses hire legally. Even the idea of deploying the National Guard at the border garners a nearly even split, with 48% in support and 44% opposed.
Perhaps the most politically striking result from the poll is the shift in party trust on immigration. When asked which party they trust more to handle immigration, 45% of respondents chose the Democratic Party compared to 41% who chose the GOP. Fourteen percent said they trusted neither or were unsure. This +4 margin for Democrats marks a rare reversal in an area where Republicans traditionally held the advantage.
Taken together, the findings of the AtlasIntel poll suggest that the Republican Party’s aggressive stance on immigration may be losing ground not just with Democrats and independents, but also with swing voters and even segments of its own base. What once energized Trump’s political rise now risks alienating the very voters needed to win suburban districts and battleground states.
The border crisis isn’t going away, and the need for immigration reform remains urgent. But if the GOP continues to lean into hardline measures, family separations, mass deportations, raids, it may be doing more damage to its national brand than it realizes. For Democrats, the opening is clear: offer credible, compassionate immigration solutions and seize the growing trust gap.
The 2026 midterms will be the next major test of how immigration is playing with the electorate. If these poll numbers are any indication, the ground is shifting, and the GOP may be standing on a fault line.