President Donald Trump’s handling of immigration has fallen to its weakest position in an Economist/YouGov tracker, a striking reversal on the issue that powered his return to the White House. Trump’s immigration approval fell to 40 percent in August, while 53 percent disapproved, leaving him 13 points underwater among U.S. adult citizens. The latest result matches the previous all-time low net approval rating (those who approve minus those who disapprove) recorded in May, but its raw 40 percent approval figure is a record low in the series.
Immigration has generally remained his strongest policy area, making the decline a warning sign for Republicans approaching the midterm elections. Candidates defending the administration’s border and deportation policies may face voters who favor enforcement but object to parts of Trump’s approach. Trump’s political rise was built partly on frustration over illegal immigration and the belief that Washington had lost control of the southern border.
The latest numbers suggest voters may distinguish between wanting stricter enforcement and approving of how that enforcement is carried out. The newest Economist/YouGov poll that measured this issue found 40 percent approving of Trump’s handling of immigration and 53 percent disapproving. Conducted from August 7 to 10, 2026, the survey included 1,589 U.S. adult citizens and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points after weighting.
YouGov said respondents came from its opt-in panel and the sample was weighted across demographic, geographic, partisan and voting measures. That minus 13 net rating represents a substantial change from February 2 to 4, 2025, when 51 percent approved and 40 percent disapproved. The deterioration was not linear.
Net approval stood at minus one in April 2025, reached parity in May, and then remained negative through the rest of the series. It registered minus eight at the turn of February 2026 before reaching minus 13 in both May and August. Although Trump’s net approval on immigration in the August poll matched its all-time low of minus 13, his 40 percent approval rating was the lowest recorded in the tracker.
Low approval does not necessarily mean immigration has stopped being Trump’s strongest issue. It means voters may rate him poorly while judging his performance less harshly than they do on the economy, foreign policy or other subjects. AP-NORC called immigration Trump’s strongest issue in May, when 45 percent approved of his handling of it.
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