Conservative groups urge broader removals while White House emphasizes focus on criminal offenders amid political pressure and falling approval ratings.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Immigration policy advocates are urging President Donald Trump to accelerate deportations ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, even as administration officials appear to be emphasizing a more targeted approach focused primarily on criminal offenders.
The debate comes as the White House navigates political pressure from both immigration hardliners and shifting public opinion regarding enforcement policies.
Conservative organizations have recently increased calls for a dramatic expansion of deportations. Matt O’Brien, deputy executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, told the Daily Caller News Foundation that many immigration advocates expect the administration to enforce the full scope of federal immigration law.
“President Trump secured a second term in the White House largely on the promise to enforce the entirety of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as written by Congress,” O’Brien said. “Those of us who value national sovereignty and the rule of law are now concerned that Team Trump is going to revert to the same lazy, selective enforcement policies relied on by past presidents.”
Several advocacy organizations—including FAIR and the Heritage Foundation—have launched a joint effort known as the Mass Deportation Coalition aimed at expanding deportation operations. The coalition plans to present proposals to the administration outlining strategies for reaching one million deportations by the end of 2026.
Lora Ries, a senior immigration policy expert at the Heritage Foundation, said limiting enforcement to migrants with serious criminal records would not produce the scale of removals some advocates believe is necessary.
“Americans voted for a change and millions of inadmissible aliens entered during Biden’s four years,” Ries said. “So just focusing on worst of the worst criminal aliens, that gets you hundreds of thousands, but it doesn’t get you millions, and we need millions deported.”
Trump first elevated immigration enforcement as a central issue during his 2016 presidential campaign and again emphasized large-scale deportations while running for office in 2024.
Since returning to the White House, administration officials have highlighted significant enforcement activity. The Department of Homeland Security has reported roughly 675,000 deportations and a dramatic decline in border encounters during 2025 compared with the previous administration.
Despite those figures, some immigration hardliners inside and outside the administration argue that the number of formal deportations—defined as migrants removed after final court orders—is lower than expected.
The White House has rejected claims that its enforcement agenda has changed.
“Nobody is changing the Administration’s immigration enforcement agenda,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. “President Trump’s highest priority has always been the deportation of illegal alien criminals who endanger American communities.”
However, recent public remarks from administration officials have suggested a more focused strategy. During a January press conference available through Vimeo, Trump indicated that enforcement efforts should prioritize individuals with criminal records while showing leniency toward migrants working in industries such as agriculture or hospitality.
“We’re looking to get the criminals out right now,” the president said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also acknowledged concerns about the political impact of immigration enforcement, telling reporters that the Republican Party experienced a “hiccup” with Hispanic voters and that a “course correction” could follow leadership changes at the Department of Homeland Security.
Earlier this month, Trump announced that Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin would replace Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem by the end of March. Mullin has supported strict border enforcement policies but has not publicly detailed how he would approach deportation strategy under the new role.
Recent public opinion surveys have also complicated the administration’s political calculus. A survey conducted by YouGov found growing support among Americans for eliminating Immigration and Customs Enforcement entirely, according to results published in a YouGov poll.
At the same time, voters widely viewed Trump as the stronger candidate on immigration during the 2024 election, according to findings summarized in a YouGov analysis.
More recent polling suggests that approval of the president’s handling of immigration has declined. A Reuters/Ipsos survey released in February reported that approval of Trump’s immigration policies had fallen to its lowest level since he returned to office.
In his February State of the Union address, Trump defended the administration’s immigration record.
“After four years in which millions and millions of illegal aliens poured across our borders totally unfettered and unchecked, we now have the strongest and most secure border in American history, by far,” Trump said.
“In the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States, but we will always allow people to come in legally, people that will love our country and will work hard to maintain our country.”
Internal discussions about messaging have also emerged. According to reporting by Axios, White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair advised House Republicans to focus publicly on deporting violent offenders rather than promoting broad “mass deportation” rhetoric, a shift detailed in an Axios report.
Blair reiterated similar views in a statement shared on social media.
The policy debate intensified following Operation Metro Surge, a joint enforcement effort in Minnesota involving ICE and Border Patrol. During confrontations between protesters and federal agents, two civilians—Renee Good and Alex Pretti—were killed, sparking widespread criticism and calls for changes to enforcement practices.
The incident led to significant leadership changes at the Department of Homeland Security and contributed to political pressure in Congress, where lawmakers debated funding for the agency.
Immigration policy advocates warn that abandoning mass deportation goals could weaken enthusiasm among Trump supporters ahead of the midterm elections.
Chris Chmielenski, president of the Immigration Accountability Project, said the issue remains a powerful motivator among Republican voters.
“With Trump not on the ballot, they have to turn out Trump’s base and mass deportations is something that we found through our polling turns out Trump’s base,” Chmielenski said.
Polling conducted by the group suggests that 74 percent of Trump voters say they would be more likely to vote in the midterms if deportations exceed one million in 2026, according to survey results published in the organization’s polling report.
The group also reported strong support for deportation policies among Hispanic voters who supported Trump in the last election, with more than 75 percent indicating that expanded deportation efforts would increase their likelihood of voting in the midterms. Those results were detailed in additional survey data.
Chmielenski said immigration advocates hope the administration’s recent messaging reflects a communications strategy rather than a change in policy.
“So we found that actually, this particular issue that they seem to be running away from is something that motivates his base and could end up backfiring on them,” he said.
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