Brit Hume: Trump’s Deportation Drive Has ‘Hit Its Political Limits,’ Fox Poll Shows

Fox News Chief Political Analyst Brit Hume responded Wednesday to a new Fox News poll indicating growing public unease with the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement. The survey and recent events in Minnesota have prompted debate about whether the deportation campaign has begun to erode public support.

Poll Findings

The Fox News poll found 59% of registered voters say Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been too heavy-handed in recent operations, a 10-point increase since July of last year. The survey also shows 55% of respondents disapprove of President Trump’s handling of immigration — an issue that was previously one of his strongest political assets.

Hume’s Assessment

“It suggests that while the administration was within its limits — its legal limits — in this immigration crackdown and the dragnet that’s going on ... it has hit its political limits,” Hume said on Special Report. He added that many Americans want a secure border and criminal undocumented immigrants removed, but scenes from raids and recent shootings have softened support.

Context And Fallout

In recent weeks roughly 3,000 agents from U.S. Border Patrol and ICE were deployed to Minnesota, where two U.S. citizens were fatally shot amid enforcement operations. Following the second shooting, Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Greg Bovino was withdrawn from the state and is expected to be reassigned before his retirement. A separate YouGov poll this month found 46% of Americans favor abolishing ICE.

Video of Hume’s comments and the network’s discussion aired on Fox News.