New Poll Finds California Voters Strongly Support Strengthening Due Process Protections to Keep Families Together

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A new statewide poll of over 1,200 California registered voters released today adds to a growing body of research showing staunch opposition to the Trump administration’s mass deportation policies among a wide swath of voters, while also providing fresh insights on key statewide policy issues. Notably, the poll finds strong support for strengthening state sanctuary laws as well as upholding due process for all, including people who have a past criminal record. Voters also expressed significant concern with the cost of the Trump administration’s approach to immigration on taxpayers, and were deeply moved by two personal narratives.

Commissioned by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) and National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), and conducted by Goodwin Simon Strategic Research in October 2025, the survey explored voter attitudes towards mass deportation, recent ICE actions, and sanctuary protections in California. The survey findings add detail to a recent PPIC poll that found 65% of likely California voters disapprove of the job ICE is doing and a CNN election day exit poll in which 64%, including 92% of those who voted yes on Prop 50, say the Trump administration’s immigration actions have gone too far.

“From San Diego and San Bernardino to Ventura and San Mateo, we’re seeing more community members urge their local officials to ensure our local tax resources are not used to help ICE agents violate the most fundamental principles of due process,” said Sarah Lee, Senior Community Organizer for the ILRC. “There is growing consensus among Californians that our elected officials need to step up to keep families together, expand state solutions in response to enforcement escalation, and ensure everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

“The people targeted by raids in California today are the civil rights leaders of tomorrow, and the sooner our elected officials understand this, the sooner they can get to work shielding our communities from the withering assault we have endured in 2025,” said Chris Newman, NDLON Legal Director. He continued, “The leadership we are seeing in response to the administration’s attack on California is coming from the bottom-up. It’s coming from the streets, not from government institutions. This polling suggests the public already understands immigrants are defending shared constitutional values of fairness and due process. Hopefully it will incentivize the political class to show some courage in the coming year.”

California voters feel strongly about respect, dignity, and fairness for all community members

At the onset of the poll and prior to hearing any messaging, 7 out of 10 California voters (43% strongly agree) believe that “when a person who is an immigrated has been convicted of a crime and has served their sentence, regardless of immigration status,” the person should “have due process, including a judge reviewing their case to determine if they should be allowed to remain in the U.S,” rather than “automatically be deported without due process or a judge reviewing their case.”

After hearing a slate of pro-immigrant and opposition messaging, support for due process grows to a total of 74% of voters (50% strongly agree), including 90% of Democrats, 74% of independents, and 51% of Republicans. Voters with and without college degrees, as well as white, Black, Latino/a, and API voters reported strong majority support for due process, with notably high support among Latina women and women with college degrees.

Among the top performing messages among California voters, the survey found:

• 69% agree with a message that includes “even if someone does have a record, they deserve due process and the chance to have their case heard by a judge.” (46% strongly agree)

• 66% agree with a message that includes “when ICE abducts people off the street or grabs them from prison or jail, [private prison] companies profit…Our tax dollars should be going to affordable housing, healthcare, and education.” (47% strongly agree)

• 66% agree with a message that includes “California’s state prisons make unfounded gambles with people’s lives based on where they were born, what they look like, and what language they speak.” (42% strongly agree)

• 66% agree that “people are coming together and showing what it means to be a country where people look out for each other” through actions such as “raising money for street vendors” and “protesting and calling on elected leaders to protect our rights and safety.” (39% strongly agree)

Over 60% of voters agree with strengthening sanctuary protections to counter mass deportations

Additionally, after hearing descriptions of current state laws and policies, most California voters agree with strengthening sanctuary protections, presenting an opportunity for state and local officials to take action and uphold fairness and equal treatment.

• 62% agree that “there are too many exceptions to these sanctuary rules and too many local and state law enforcement officers are acting as deportation agents. We need to strengthen our state’s protections to prevent abuses of power and help keep thousands of hardworking families together.” (38% strongly agree)

• 62% agree that “we need California elected officials to stand up and stop the prison system from transferring people directly to ICE without a warrant, hurting our state, and ruining so many lives. (37% strongly agree)

Underpinning these findings, voters reacted positively to personal narratives constructed from recent news reports and community experiences.

• 79% said a story from a community member who served time for a prior conviction and transformed his life in prison, only to be deported, was compelling. (55% extremely or very compelling)

• 80% said a story from a Californian who met a person who had been turned over to ICE while working as a counselor and mentor to at-risk youth after serving 30 years in state prison was compelling. (62% extremely or very compelling)

Find a memo summarizing poll findings, including links to the survey toplines and full text of messages and narratives tested.

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