A strong majority of Mainers believe that illegal immigration is a serious problem in the United States despite holding more divided opinions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This comes as part of the latest Pine Tree State Poll, a States of Opinion Project, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.
When asked about ICE or President Donald Trump’s (R) immigration enforcement actions, Mainers were starkly split based on their political affiliation.
While Republicans were nearly unanimous in their support for ICE’s enforcement actions under the Trump Administration, Democrats were largely united in their opposition. Independents were more evenly divided on these issues.
Respondents were also asked to weigh in on several changes to ICE’s operating procedures that have been floated in recent months.
Half of Mainers indicated they would like ICE to be required to obtain a judicial warrant before conducting an arrest. A slightly higher share expressed support for banning ICE agents from wearing face coverings.
Fifty-seven percent of Mainers surveyed said that they wanted to see ICE prohibited from entering churches and schools.
All of these proposals were supported by nearly all Democrats surveyed, as well as roughly two-thirds of Independents.
Although Republicans were more reticent, 36 percent still backed a ban on ICE agents entering schools and churches.
Around 10 percent were open to barring the use of facial coverings and requiring a judicial warrant for arrests.
In addition to discussions regarding reform, some have suggested abolishing ICE entirely. Eighty-two percent of Maine Democrats surveyed expressed support for dissolving the agency, while 86 percent of Republicans opposed the idea.
Independents were split roughly 60-40, with the majority in favor of doing away with the agency.
Despite this opposition to ICE, nearly two-thirds of Mainers surveyed said that illegal immigration is a serious problem in the United States, including 35 percent of Democrats, 58 percent of Independents, and 99 percent of Republicans.
This share dropped significantly, however, when respondents were asked the same question with regards to their state or town.
Even among Republicans, just 57 percent said that illegal immigration was a serious concern where they live.
President Trump’s handling of immigration continued to receive a negative rating from nearly 60 percent of Mainers, a figure that has remained relatively consistent for at least a year.
Forty-two percent of Mainers approve of the president’s approach to addressing immigration concerns.
These percentages roughly mirror Trump’s overall approval rating.
When supporters of the president were asked to identify the most important reason for their position, 37 percent pointed toward Trump’s handling of immigration.
Among Trump’s opponents, the most frequently cited reason for disapproving of the president was alleged undermining of democracy or the Constitution, followed by an assessment of poor character.
Just 11 percent of the president’s opponents identified his handling of immigration as key to their disapproval.
This survey was conducted from February 12 to February 16 and has a ± 2.9 percent margin of error.
