Young People Don't Trust ICE And Some Want It Abolished, New Poll Shows

By Lauren Rearick


Residents of the
U.S. Don’t trust ICE — especially young Americans.


Based on the results of a new poll from YouGov, which polled American adults on their faith in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Patrol, ICE, and more, 51 percent of adults aged 20 to 37 mentioned they never trust the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while older generations hovered around 40 percent distrust.


As for other government agencies, adults aged 20 to 37 expressed more than 50 percent trust in the FBI, the Census Bureau, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Nearly half of adults aged 20 to 37 surveyed trusted the Internal Income Service and the Federal Aviation Administration, and only 36 percent mentioned they trusted the Federal Election Commission.


The apparent distrust in some government companies speaks to a continued trend among Residents of the United States — several people just simply don’t trust the government. In a April 2019 Pew Statistics Center study, only 17 percent of these surveyed mentioned they trusted the American government, and that number has continued to refuse since 2001. Since 2007, the percentage of Residents of the
U.S. That shared trust in the politicians governing the United States has remained below 30 percent. Some experts have shared the concern that without a generic trust between the American people and their government could potentially “damage every aspect of government.”


However this YouGov survey is only one symptom of some of the nation’s current thoughts on ICE — which, itself is a fairly new company created in 2003, as a reaction to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — the results are coming in throughout a particularly tense time. In early July, President Donald Trump’s administration continued ICE raids targeted at removing undocumented migrants living in the U.S. Since taking office, Trump has acquired continued criticism for his stance on conducting the raids; Residence Speaker Nancy Pelosi instructed them President that “families belong together,” Vox reported, and Senator Kamala Harris said Trump’s actions led to “fear in this country.”


ICE is only one piece of the Trump administration's policies targeted at migrants. Because the New York Times explained, ICE is piece of the Department of Homeland Security, and its work differs from that of Customs and Border Patrol. ICE does performer name removal, however its Homeland Security Investigations department works on cases regarding drug and human trafficking, and weapons smuggling and its Office of the Principal Legal Adviser provides legal services to employees.


For its part, Customs and Border Patrol has also been the intent of criticism and concern, as Trump had directed the business to take a “zero tolerance” stance on migrants crossing the border, leading the CBP to separate families and residence children in cages. It was only soon after images emerged of the treatment of migrant children that Trump signed an executive sort to halt the policy of separating families. The policy might have ended, nevertheless the American Civil Liberties Union reported that 900 children are still waiting to be reunited with parents or guardians.


Some politicians called for the U.S. To abolish ICE, CNN announced, including presidential candidates and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. According to YouGov, young people feel the same: 27 percent of American adults aged 20 to 37 mentioned they would like to be able to see ICE close, while 20 percent mentioned the same for CBP. Meanwhile, 12 percent of respondents voted for the closure of the Internal Income Service (y’know, the people to whom you pay your taxes).