Politics

ICE Arrests Divide Voters Ahead of 2026 Midterms

By Al Jazeera Staff

A Fox News poll released in September found that 53 percent of registered voters believe President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has gone too far, a sentiment that is even stronger among key demographics. The poll showed that 60 percent of independent voters and two‑thirds of Hispanic respondents agreed that the crackdown has overreached. The focus of the debate has shifted from border security to the conduct of enforcement operations. Cynthia Penaloza, whose 23‑year‑old sister Joceline was arrested by ICE in Houston during a traffic stop and remains in custody, told Al Jazeera that her family fears the arrest will change their lives forever. She rejects the administration’s claim that ICE targets only the “worst of the worst.” The Department of Homeland Security has said that Trump’s policies have enabled ICE to target serious criminal illegal aliens, including pedophiles, murderers, gang members, terrorists and rapists. ICE has recorded more than 50,000 immigration arrests in two consecutive months in September, surpassing a June record of 43,900. Homeland Security says about 70 percent of detainees are criminals when pending charges are considered, a figure that critics say is misleading because many suspects have not been proven guilty. The Deportation Data Project reports that roughly 70 percent of those in ICE detention have no criminal record. Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, has called for more arrests and deportations. The aggressive tactics may hurt the Republican campaign for the midterms, as Republicans seek to defend majorities in Congress and key state and local elections. Trump gained nearly 48 percent of Hispanic support in the 2024 election, a 12‑point increase from 2020, but that support has fallen, with approval among Hispanic voters who backed him dropping from 93 percent at the start of 2025 to 57 percent last week. Some Republicans, such as Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, have criticized the president’s hardline policies, while others blame previous administrations for the current enforcement conflict. Democrats hope to turn outrage over ICE tactics into votes. Hidalgo County Democratic Party chair Richard Gonzales said he would hope for ICE’s abolition, arguing the agency has lost its identity and cannot be rehabilitated.