As more details of President-elect Donald Trump's mass deportation plan are revealed, including a vow by border czar Tom Homan to go after all undocumented migrants, voters appear to still support the move.
New polling by CBS News and YouGov showed 57 percent of those asked supported the plan to remove at least 11 million people who have been living in the United States illegally, compared to 43 percent who didn't.
While Trump has floated the idea of using the U.S. military as part of the effort to detain migrants, most of those asked did not want that to be the case.
Just 40 percent said the military should be involved, compared to 82 percent who felt it was the job of immigration and border control agencies. Federal law enforcement agencies came in at 64 percent.
Use of Federal and Local Law Enforcement
Use of the military to round up undocumented immigrants, many of whom have lived in the U.S. for decades and have not committed any other crimes, has not seen widespread support, even among Trump's own party.
Last week, Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul said it would be "a terrible image" to have the military entering cities and towns.
"While I am all for Remain in Mexico, I will not support an emergency to put the army into our cities. I think that is a huge mistake," he told Newsmax.
When asked about the CBS poll, Trump-JD Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Newsweek via email that the president-elect will "marshal every federal and state power necessary" to carry out his plan.
"The American people reelected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, like deporting migrant criminals and restoring our economic greatness. He will deliver," she said.
Americans Have 'Complex Views' on Immigration
Mass deportation became a major talking point for the Trump campaign in the run-up to November 5, with signs held by his supporters at rallies calling for the program and other polling suggesting the move was popular among Democrats, too.
How the question is asked could be playing a big role in how those surveyed responded, according to CNN.
The outlet found that surveys which simply asked if respondents supported mass deportation saw more support for the plan, while those questions which included details such as deporting those who "have lived here for a number of years, have jobs and no criminal record" garnered less support.
When presented with another option to offer more pathways to legal status or citizenship, 70 percent of those answering a Gallup poll preferred this.
The disparity was reflected in a study by the Pew Research Center, which it framed as highlighting the "complex views" Americans hold on the immigration issue.
It found that among those who supported mass deportation, 43 percent also wanted pathways to legal status, if certain requirements were met. That measure saw more support among Hispanic, Black and Asian Americans.
The most popular requirements to stay included passing a security background check (79 percent) and having a job (52 percent), while home ownership or having a business were not seen as factors officials should take into consideration.
Immigration reform from Congress, which would allow more pathways to citizenship, has not been spoken about as widely by Trump as deportations. A former Department of Homeland Security staffer told Newsweek in October that it was unlikely immigration reform would happen, regardless of who won the presidential election.
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