Seventy percent of Republican voters support a policy of deporting all illegal immigrants, underscoring a sharp partisan divide on immigration, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey released Thursday.
The poll found that 44% of likely U.S. voters overall favor deporting all illegal immigrants, including 24% who strongly support such a policy. By comparison, 51% support legislation to grant amnesty and allow illegal immigrants to become permanent U.S. residents.
Support for deportation is significantly lower among other groups, with 35% of Democrats and 37% of independent voters backing the policy.
Meanwhile, 73% of Democrats support amnesty legislation, while 65% of Republicans oppose it, highlighting the widening gap between the parties on immigration policy.
The issue is expected to play a major role in the 2026 midterm elections. The survey found that 79% of voters say immigration will be important to their vote, including 47% who consider it very important. Among those voters, 57% support deporting all illegal immigrants.
The findings come amid renewed debate in Washington after Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., introduced legislation that critics say would provide amnesty to illegal immigrants.
Demographic differences also emerged in the poll. Men are more likely to support deportation, while women are more likely to favor amnesty. Older voters are more supportive of deportation policies, while younger voters are more likely to back amnesty.
Among 2024 voters, 70% of those who supported President Donald Trump favor deportation, while 68% of those who supported former Vice President Kamala Harris support amnesty.
The survey of 1,007 likely voters was conducted April 9 and April 12-13, 2026, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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