ICE brokers method a home earlier than detaining two individuals on Jan. 13 in Minneapolis.
Stephen Maturen/Getty Photographs
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Stephen Maturen/Getty Photographs
Some swing voters who supported President Trump within the 2024 election say Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers are going “too far” in finishing up deportation orders after an officer shot and killed Renee Macklin Good in Minneapolis earlier this month.
On Tuesday, NPR noticed on-line focus teams with 14 voters from Pennsylvania who supported Joe Biden in 2020 after which swung to Trump in 2024. Seven of these voters recognized themselves as Republicans, six recognized as independents, and one recognized as a Democrat.
The main focus teams have been a part of the Swing Voter Mission, performed by the businesses Engagious and Sago. NPR is a companion on the mission.
Whereas focus teams do not present a statistically important pattern like a ballot does, they will present perception into how some key voters view information occasions.
On this case, eight voters mentioned ICE is mostly “getting issues about proper,” whereas six mentioned it has “gone too far.” Nobody thought it has “not gone far sufficient.”
Wealthy Thau, president of Engagious and the moderator of the main focus teams, mentioned he noticed “quite a lot of frustration with ICE and the way ICE has been performing round the US” with these Pennsylvania voters.
“There was widespread consciousness of what occurred to Renee Good on Jan. 7,” he mentioned. “You may have a giant division in these teams. It reveals that there is an underlying frustration with how issues are going and the way issues are being executed in the US.”
Divided blame for deadly ICE taking pictures in Minneapolis
Most voters had seen video of the taking pictures. Hassan C., a 39-year-old unbiased, mentioned the agent who shot and killed Macklin Good was clearly in charge. (Individuals agreed to be a part of the main focus teams given that they be recognized by their first names and final initials solely.)
“From what I noticed within the video, she was attempting to drive away and the ICE agent moved out of the way in which,” he mentioned. “He was not in hurt’s method. And when he began taking pictures her, he was not within the path of the automobile.”
There have been blended opinions on who was extra in charge for the incident, although. When requested, 4 voters blamed Macklin Good, 5 blamed the ICE agent, and one other 4 mentioned each have been equally in charge.
Grace P., a 60-year-old Republican, was among the many voters who felt each people have been equally in charge. Whereas she mentioned that Macklin Good “was placing herself in peril by even being there,” she additionally felt the officer went too far.
“These officers ought to be skilled that you need to by no means be taking pictures to kill,” she mentioned. “There’s one thing incorrect with that state of affairs proper there.”
Kimberly Okay., a 46-year-old unbiased voter in Philadelphia, was one of many six voters who mentioned ICE is mostly “getting issues about proper” throughout the nation. She mentioned she has a “mushy spot” for legislation enforcement officers as a result of her husband labored in legislation enforcement for 33 years.
“I do know that is a job that not everyone can do,” she mentioned. “So I simply really feel like a job must be finished and so they’re doing it and there are different variables that make it very troublesome.”
Simply two voters mentioned Trump had any blame within the taking pictures, regardless of sending federal brokers to Minnesota.
Voters desire a clearer deal with the U.S. economic system
A majority of the voters did, nevertheless, say that Trump wants to start out focusing extra on financial points and fewer on international affairs.
In the previous couple of weeks, the U.S. army seized Venezuela’s chief and Trump has renewed his threats to amass Greenland. When requested, all 14 voters mentioned they have been against any use of pressure to amass the territory. Trump on Wednesday backed off these threats and mentioned a “framework” for a deal on Greenland had been reached with European leaders.
“There is a concern that he is attempting to do an excessive amount of on too many issues and he is not singularly targeted on the factor that issues to most of [voters], which is their pocketbooks,” Thau mentioned. “Their frustration right here is with the worldwide actions — Greenland, Venezuela, Iran, Ukraine, Gaza, go down the record.”
Matt A., a 31-year-old Republican, mentioned Trump’s lack of deal with financial points has created extra anxiousness for him.
“The on a regular basis, middle-class working individual generally will get forgotten in a few of Trump’s insurance policies,” he mentioned.
Jeremy F., a 39-year-old unbiased voter, mentioned he “undoubtedly” does not assume that Trump “cares about on a regular basis individuals.”
“I imply, the way in which he lived his complete life effectively earlier than he ever grew to become president, he simply solely cared about cash, status and himself,” he mentioned. “It is all about him. It is him, you already know? So, yeah, he is not frightened about us.”
Jeremy mentioned Trump’s deal with Venezuela and Greenland solely frustrates him extra as a result of he mentioned he voted for Trump in 2024 as a result of “it appeared that he was much less of a struggle hawk.”
“He ran on that,” he mentioned. “He ran very strongly opposing struggle and opposing army conflicts world wide. And now he is simply going left and proper and beginning them.”
General, eight of the 14 voters mentioned they disapprove of Trump’s job efficiency. However many of the group was additionally important of Democrats, utilizing phrases like “weak” and “damaged.”
