Harry Enten, CNN's chief data correspondent, says public support for ICE and DHS has fallen sharply during President Trump's second term. Enten cited polls showing ICE's net approval plunging into negative territory after incidents in Los Angeles and Minneapolis, and DHS dipping from about 59% in 2017 to roughly 42% last year. He also noted Kristi Noem's net approval has worsened since July 2025 and called the situation a 'political disaster' for the administration as Tom Homan is sent to Minneapolis and the White House reviews recent fatal federal-agent shootings.
Polls Show ICE, DHS Popularity Plummeting Under Kristi Noem — CNN’s Harry Enten Calls It a 'Political Disaster'
Noem's net approval rating among Americans has continued to wane throughout the second Trump administration. / Al Drago/Getty Images
CNN chief data correspondent Harry Enten warned viewers that public support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has fallen sharply during President Trump's second term, a decline he linked to high-profile federal actions in U.S. cities and to Kristi Noem's high-visibility role overseeing immigration enforcement.
Polling Trends Highlight Steep Declines
Speaking on CNN News Central with co-anchor Kate Bolduan, Enten walked through polling data that show a marked drop in approval. He said ICE's net approval rating was roughly even during Trump's first term, fell about 17 points around June 2025 amid controversies in Los Angeles, and sank further to a net negative 27 points after incidents in Minneapolis — developments Enten noted occurred while Noem became the face of ICE enforcement.
Anti-ICE demonstrations have sprung up across the country in response to the agency's aggressive and inhumane tactics. / Anadolu / Anadolu via Getty Images
I'm not really surprised that President Trump is sending Tom Homan in because ICE, DHS, and Kristi Noem have been a political disaster,
Enten said DHS has experienced a similar slide: he pointed to about 59% popularity in late 2017 (during Trump's first term) compared with roughly 42% by late last year in the second term. He argued the pattern is consistent across multiple poll questions and metrics.
Noem's Popularity and Political Fallout
Enten noted that Kristi Noem's net approval was already negative in July 2025 (about minus 11 points) and has fallen another five points since then. He described the cumulative effect on the administration as a 'political disaster' and said it is not surprising that the White House might reduce Noem's public role.
Noem has sent even more ICE agents to Minneapolis, a city already on edge. / Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
Recent Fatal Encounters and Reactions
Scrutiny of Noem's leadership intensified after a federal ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7; Noem publicly called Good a 'domestic terrorist' hours after the incident. Tensions rose again after a separate encounter in Minneapolis in which 37-year-old Virginia nurse Alex Pretti was shot multiple times by Border Patrol agents after intervening to shield a woman who had been shoved to the pavement.
Following the most recent shooting, President Trump told The Wall Street Journal the administration is 'reviewing everything and will come out with a determination' about the incident. On Monday the president said he would send border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to help calm tensions, writing on Truth Social that Homan 'has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there. Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me.'
Demonstrators march during the nationwide
What It Means Politically
Enten framed the polling drops and public backlash to federal-agent actions as a major political problem for the Trump administration. If the downward trend in approval persists, it could prompt changes in operational leadership or strategy as officials seek to limit further political fallout.
Sources: Remarks by Harry Enten on CNN News Central; publicly reported polling shifts and accounts of recent Minneapolis and Los Angeles incidents.
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