When President Donald Trump won the 2024 election, many American voters wanted immigration reduced, and Trump quickly complied. He boosted funding for immigration enforcement, opened new detention centers, and pushed more Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as Customs and Border Patrol troops, into US cities.

While American disapproval of immigration was key to Trump winning two presidential elections, polls today show a growing divide.

Gallup found 30 percent of Americans want immigration decreased, which is down from 55 percent a year ago. In a New York Times/Sienna national poll, a majority of voters still disapproved of immigration but also said Trump’s actions on enforcement have gone too far.

According to immigration reporter Molly O’Toole, the shift is a response to Trump’s oversimplified message that “all immigration is bad.” She said it was a successful message with no effective counterbalancing force until people saw firsthand Trump’s deportation tactics.

Speaking with Today, Explained fill-in host Astead Herndon, O’Toole explained why capturing voter sentiment on immigration often misses nuance, and why it may........

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