The propagandists are winning; with, sorry to say, the help of Noem
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A majority — 2/3 — of Americans polled now oppose ICE CAPADES
Betsy McCaughey
A new Harvard/Harris public opinion poll shows two-thirds of Americans now disapprove of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That spells trouble for taxpayers and everyone who wants safe neighborhoods.
A majority of Americans voted for President Donald Trump to enforce immigration laws. The poll, done just after the shooting of anti-ICE activist Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, indicates how Democratic political rhetoric and misleading media reports are causing most Americans to change their minds. Democrats in Congress are trying to hold back ICE funds.
If this growing movement to hamstring ICE and let recent illegals stay here succeeds, hold on to your wallet. Either the criminal migrants roving the streets will rob you, or you'll have to empty your wallet yourself to pay for the welfare benefits illegals consume.
…. New York data show illegals commit crimes three times as often as legal residents.
Politicians demanding that ICE leave their states are stabbing the public in the back. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger ordered state law enforcement to dissolve any partnerships with ICE. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is calling for the agency's abolition. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is telling ICE to "go home."
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced legislation to limit local police cooperation with ICE, which she calls "a rogue federal agency that's been unleashed on the American streets for the sole purpose of creating chaos, carnage and fear." Nonsense.
The tragic deaths in Minnesota need to be investigated, and ICE training procedures need to be adapted to the new reality of subversive agitators like the Chinese Communist Party-linked People's Forum egging on crowds to obstruct ICE agents. They are not trained on how to handle this manufactured obstruction.
But ICE's core mission is vital. Violent crime surged during former President Joe Biden's four years -- at the same time that the U.S. experienced an unprecedented influx of illegal aliens. Over 60% of those arrested by ICE in the last year have pending criminal charges or convictions [another way to put it is that 40% of those arrested have no criminal record, other than of course, entering the country illegally – Ed] ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons testified to Congress on Tuesday.
An estimated 61% of households headed by an illegal used federal welfare benefits in 2024, including SNAP, Medicaid, federally supported health centers, substance abuse treatment programs, mental health services and Head Start.
Illegals are not eligible for these things under federal law, and Trump cracked down on their use when he took office in 2025. But many blue states, including California, Connecticut and New York, then shifted the cost on to state taxpayers.
Lamont blamed Trump's "harsh cuts" for increased state spending in Connecticut, without actually spelling out that the money is going for illegals.
Unless ICE deports a large number of those who entered the country unlawfully, overstayed visas or were paroled during the Biden presidency, these migrants will cost America $1.5 trillion over their lifetimes. Immigrants ages 18 to 24 without a high school diploma cost taxpayers the most, each consuming an average of $332,000 in lifetime welfare and health benefits, according to the Manhattan Institute.
All bad: however, these sweeps have harmed the overall effort:
WASHINGTON — Border czar Tom Homan made clear there’s still no love lost between him and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in an interview Sunday.
Homan brushed aside the broadside against Noem and Bovino, recounting how President Trump dispatched him to Minnesota, and he “just did things the way I’ve done for 40 years.”
He also admitted to disagreeing with Noem — seemingly confirming an ongoing power struggle that has played out since Trump took office.
Behind the scenes, Homan has preferred to prioritize targeting criminal illegal aliens, while Noem has wanted to go after everyone in the US illegally and conduct broad-based sweeps.
One could argue that Noem had the better argument so far as immigration law should operate, but there’s no question that it’s failed to accomplish its objective and in fact has hurt the effort to enforce it: from 90% approval to 66% disapproval is a dIsastrous swing.