More Americans approve of President Donald Trump‘s use of the military to quell Los Angeles protests against his mass deportations than disapprove, according to a new poll.

Why It Matters

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has conducted raids across the country and have faced large protests in Los Angeles as Trump’s administration pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history. While most protesters were peaceful, there have been instances of violence over the past few days.

Trump deployed about 4,000 members of California’s National Guard and the 700 U.S. Marines to assist in stopping violence, despite objections from Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, and other local officials who said his actions would escalate the situation. The protests are a flashpoint for Americans’ views on Trump’s immigration policy, and the poll is one of several indicators about how Americans are viewing the demonstrations.

The raids are following legal directive from federal authorities, but critics have raised concerns about the treatment of migrants by federal authorities as well as the tactics used by immigration agents during the raids.

What To Know

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday indicates how Americans view Trump’s approach to the protests.

About 48 percent of respondents said they agreed that Trump should “deploy the military to bring order to the streets” in the case of protests that turn violent, while 41 percent disagreed.

Still, 50 percent said they disapproved of his overall handling of the protests, while only 35 percent approved, according to the poll, which surveyed 1,136 Americans and ended on Thursday. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Critics such as Newsom viewed Trump’s decision to send in the National Guard as an abuse of power. Newsom sued Trump over the move, and U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer sided with the governor in a Thursday ruling, ordering Trump to return the California National Guard to Newsom’s control.

However, on Friday, a judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked Breyer’s order. Breyer did not issue a ruling on whether Trump could deploy Marines to Los Angeles.

What People Are Saying

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Newsweek: “In November, the American people resoundingly rejected the Democrat vision for immigration—open borders and millions of unvetted illegal aliens—and endorsed President Trump’s vision for immigration—deportations and enforced immigration law. President Trump is keeping his promise to the American people and violent left-wing rioters won’t stop that.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom, on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday: “I have formally requested the Trump administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles County and return them to my command. We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty—inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed. Rescind the order. Return control to California.”

President Donald Trump, on Truth Social on Friday: “The Appeals Court ruled last night that I can use the National Guard to keep our cities, in this case Los Angeles, safe. If I didn’t send the Military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground right now. We saved L.A. Thank you for the Decision!!!”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, on X on Thursday: “No matter what this Administration does, we will always uphold and reflect what Los Angeles and the United States of America are truly about: Freedom. Tolerance. And our Constitution.”

What Happens Next

“No Kings” protests against Trump’s policies are scheduled for hundreds of cities across the country on Saturday amid the Los Angeles demonstrations. The outcome of this dispute—in the courts and on the streets—remains uncertain, as legal reviews and demonstrations continue amid a polarized national climate over immigration policy and federal authority.