Poll Finds Disapproval of ICE, Omits Decades of 'Border Security' Theater
Quinnipiac's poll highlights widespread dissatisfaction with ICE, yet fails to question the fundamental premise of 'enforcement' itself. This endless feedback loop of 'crisis' and 'enforcement' fuels a sprawling carceral budget, enriching private contractors and expanding federal power, regardless of who occupies the White House. Both Republican and Democratic administrations have poured billions
into ICE and CBP, militarizing the border while the root causes of migration—often linked to destabilizing US foreign policy abroad—remain unaddressed. Instead of addressing the systemic failures that perpetuate the cycle, the media focuses on approval ratings of symptoms. One might wonder if the disapproval stems not from a desire for less enforcement, but a growing realization that 'securing the
border' has become an infinitely expanding, lucrative performance art, with human lives as the props. Perhaps the next poll could ask if Americans disapprove of endless, expensive performances of 'border security' that never actually secure anything.