On CNN News Central, data analyst Harry Enten said public dissatisfaction with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem surged following aggressive immigration operations in Minnesota that coincided with the deaths of two residents. Enten cited a poll showing 58% of Americans want Noem removed, up from 52% in early January. He also reported steep declines in approval for ICE and the administration's handling of immigration, prompting personnel moves and a shift in messaging.
Poll: Majority of Americans Want DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Removed After Minnesota Immigration Raids
A clear majority of Americans want Noem fired. / Win McNamee / Win McNamee/Getty Images
CNN data analyst Harry Enten told viewers on CNN News Central that public backlash against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has intensified after aggressive immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota coincided with the deaths of two Minneapolis residents.
Enten highlighted new polling that shows 58% of Americans now want Noem removed from her post, up from a 52% disapproval rating recorded in early January. He argued the political fallout has forced the administration to shift personnel and change its messaging.
“Take a look here... 58 percent of Americans want her removed!”
Tom Homan took over immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota in an apparent slap to Noem. / Spencer Platt / Spencer Platt/Getty Images
According to Enten, the surge in dissatisfaction followed a month of intense enforcement activity in Minnesota during which federal agents killed Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The operations prompted broad public criticism and internal recalibration within the administration.
Enten said the White House moved to reduce Noem's visibility around the Minnesota operations and dispatched border czar Tom Homan to the state to try to manage the political damage. He described a policy clash between Homan and Noem: Homan favors a targeted, "worst of the worst" approach to deportations, while Noem has supported broader raids intended to increase deportation totals.
Enten also noted that Noem did not speak during a late-January Cabinet meeting where other members praised the president; she later appeared in Arizona to promote the border wall while Homan provided updates from Minnesota.
Trump has hit a second-term low approval rating on immigration. / Screengrab / CNN
Broader political impact
Enten emphasized that Noem's troubles are part of a wider decline in public support for the administration's immigration approach. He reported that ICE's national approval rating stands at -29, and at -40 among independent voters. He also said President Trump’s approval on immigration — once a relative strength — dropped from -10 in December 2025 to a term-worst -21 overall, and to -34 among independents.
"No wonder the president of the United States is changing his tone,"Enten said.
"The American people aren't just not with him. They are on a totally other planet."
This analysis underscores how enforcement operations and their consequences can quickly reshape public opinion and force strategic adjustments within an administration.
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