Have US citizens been caught up in Trump immigration crackdown? What poll found

Many Americans have concerns about President Donald Trump’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, according to new polling.

In the latest YouGov survey, a majority of respondents said that U.S. citizens have been unjustly detained in immigration detention sites.

Most respondents also described Trump’s approach to immigration as too harsh and said they opposed the opening of “Alligator Alcatraz.”

The poll, conducted July 16-18, sampled 2,156 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.

Views on US citizen detentions

About two-thirds of respondents said they believe many U.S. citizens (40%) or a few citizens (24%) have been wrongfully detained in immigration detention centers.

Meanwhile, 18% said they believe no American citizens have been unfairly detained, and 18% said they were not sure.

The results diverged widely based on partisan affiliation. The vast majority of Democrats, 92%, said at least some citizens had been caught in Trump’s immigration dragnet. Sixty-five percent of independents and 35% of Republicans said the same.

In recent months, news reports have highlighted several cases of American citizens being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

For example, Andrea Velez, a U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE in Los Angeles during immigration operations in June, according to NBC News. She said that while detained, she was not provided water for 24 hours. She was accused of interfering with an arrest, but her case was later dismissed.

Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, previously acknowledged that ICE agents have detained some “collaterals,” according to CBS News.

Trump’s approach

A majority of respondents, 53%, also described Trump’s approach to immigration policy as too harsh.

Meanwhile, 36% said it was about right and 6% said it was too soft.

Here, again, there were major differences across the political spectrum.

Most Democrats and independents — 92% and 56%, respectively — said the president’s tactics were too harsh, while 76% of Republicans said they were about right.

Since taking office in January, Trump has made combating illegal immigration one of his administration’s top priorities.

He oversaw a dramatic reduction in southern border crossings, ramped up deportations and is planning to construct new migrant detention facilities.

Alligator Alcatraz

One such facility opened in Florida has been dubbed Alligator Alcatraz. Trump visited the newly built site — which can house up to 3,000 migrants — in July.

In the poll, a majority of respondents, 53%, said they opposed the opening of Alligator Alcatraz. Meanwhile, 35% said they approved of it, and 12% said they were not sure.

The overwhelming majority of Democrats, 86%, said they’re against the site, while 68% of Republicans said they’re in favor.

Some detainees have described the Florida detention center as “unlivable” due to unsanitary conditions, lack of food, constant lights and mosquitoes, according to NBC News.

Trump officials have vehemently denied these claims.

“Nearly every single day, my office responds to media questions on FALSE allegations about Alligator Alcatraz,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Here are the facts: Alligator Alcatraz does meet federal detention standards. All detainee facilities are clean. Any allegations of inhumane conditions are FALSE.”

This story was originally published August 20, 2025 at 11:34 AM with the headline "Have US citizens been caught up in Trump immigration crackdown? What poll found."