With President Donald Trump making deportation of illegal immigrants a day-one priority of his second term, Democrats have been relentlessly trying to undercut his policies through the courts and the media.

In recent weeks, the left, activist groups, and mainstream media allies have aggressively hammered Trump over the deportation of illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 member, who was returned to El Salvador in March.

Democrats have portrayed Abrego Garcia as a “wrongly deported Maryland man,” turning him into the poster child for their opposition to Trump’s immigration enforcement. However, facts surrounding Abrego Garcia tell a different story. He has been accused not only of MS-13 gang ties but also of domestic abuse and suspected involvement in human smuggling operations.

Despite their efforts to frame the deportation as a miscarriage of justice, a newly released CBS News poll suggests that the Democrats’ campaign isn’t working — and may actually be backfiring.

CBS News found that most Americans believe Trump’s policies have significantly reduced border crossings. More importantly for Democrats, the majority of voters continue to approve of Trump’s deportation policies in general.

The poll also reveals that while Americans believe mistakes involving legal residents should be avoided, there remains strong support for tough action against illegal immigrants. According to the results, three-quarters of respondents say it would be unacceptable for legal residents to be mistakenly detained. A full eight in ten agree that deporting legal residents would not be acceptable. However, none of this sympathy appears to extend toward illegal aliens like Abrego Garcia.

This distinction is critical. Democrats’ messaging — which falsely categorized Abrego Garcia as a “legal resident” or a “Maryland father” — appears to have fallen flat with the public. Most voters remain firmly behind Trump’s aggressive approach to border enforcement.

The new CBS News poll lines up with trends seen earlier in April. CNN’s senior data reporter Harry Enten noted two weeks ago that support for Trump’s immigration and deportation policies remains strong across a broad swath of American voters. Enten even pointed out that Trump’s immigration numbers were outperforming his overall approval ratings — a rare feat in today’s polarized political climate.

The Trump administration has not slowed its efforts in the wake of Democrat attacks. Cabinet secretaries continue to move forward with a wide range of actions designed to strengthen border security and deport illegal aliens with criminal records. Senior officials are even celebrating early victories, pointing to new data showing a sharp decline in illegal border crossings since January 2025.

Meanwhile, Trump himself has used recent rallies to highlight the success of his deportation program. At a recent event, he told supporters: “We are doing what no administration has ever dared to do. We are putting Americans first.”

Democrats’ failed campaign surrounding Abrego Garcia seems to illustrate a larger problem facing the party in 2025. As they continue to chase fringe narratives, they risk becoming more disconnected from everyday Americans’ concerns about border security, crime, and the rule of law.

Instead of convincing voters to sour on Trump’s policies, the left’s high-profile efforts have reinforced a central political reality: Americans want a secure border, and they support leadership willing to enforce immigration laws without apology.

With public sentiment on their side, President Trump and his team show no signs of backing down — and the Democrats, still reeling from their miscalculation, now face an even tougher battle ahead.