Orange County residents take pragmatic view on immigration

Irvine, Calif., April 28, 2026 - A new poll released today by UC Irvine's School of Social Ecology finds that Orange County residents hold broadly positive but carefully qualified views on immigration, reflecting the county's deep ties to immigrant communities and its status as one of the nation's most politically balanced - or "purple" - counties.

The UCI-OC Poll, conducted in partnership with TrueDot from March 24-31, surveyed 1,202 Orange County adults in English and Spanish. The survey says:

• Nearly 40% of Orange County residents were raised by two foreign-born parents, and more than one-third report personally knowing someone who is undocumented.
• More residents say immigration helps the country (44%) than hurts it (27%) while 21% say its effects balance out.
• Large majorities say immigration fills essential low-wage jobs (76%), enriches civic life (67%), attracts high-skilled workers (56%), and creates new businesses and jobs (53%).
• By more than a 2:1 margin, Independents believe the benefits of immigration outweigh the costs.

"What we see in Orange County is a public that resists simple characterization," said Jon B. Gould, dean of the UCI's School of Social Ecology and director of the UCI-OC Poll. "Residents broadly recognize the benefits of immigration and support integrating many undocumented immigrants into society, but they also draw clear lines around enforcement and policy design. This is a pragmatic county."

On policy, residents favor a measured approach:

• A clear majority (67%) supports a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants over deportation, while 72% support automatic deportation for those convicted of violent crimes.
• Support for deportation drops sharply for non-violent offenders (23%), the unemployed (16%), and recent arrivals (11%).

There is broad cross-partisan agreement that U.S. veterans who are undocumented should never be deported, according to the poll. Views diverge, however, on DACA recipients, employed individuals, and parents of U.S. citizens, with Democrats and Independents more likely than Republicans to extend those protections.

Selective support for enforcement

Orange County residents draw clear distinctions among enforcement policies. Majorities oppose several high-profile measures associated with President Donald Trump's administration, including:

• Immigration enforcement at schools and hospitals (27% support),
• Denying asylum applications at the border (33%),
• Ending birthright citizenship (36%), and
• Deploying the military in deportation efforts (37%).

By contrast, strong majorities support cracking down on human trafficking (81%) and limiting immigration from countries deemed dangerous or unstable (61%).

"The data tell us that Orange County residents are not simply for or against enforcement - they are making careful distinctions," Gould said. "They will support targeted enforcement when it addresses clear threats like human trafficking, but they draw the line at policies they view as overly broad or severe."

Public opinion on immigration institutions is mixed.

Nearly two-thirds of residents oppose the recent actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, yet a narrow majority also opposes abolishing the agency.

At the local level, 47% of residents support state and local governments refusing to cooperate with federal deportation efforts, while 57% say it is acceptable for religious institutions to decline to assist. A slight majority (51%) supports local sanctuary policies, with opposition concentrated among Republican, older and White residents.

Residents strongly oppose immigrant detention centers in their neighborhoods across all political groups, while views on housing recently arrived immigrants locally are more divided: 44% in favor and 39% opposed overall, with Democrats and Republicans holding sharply contrasting views.

Strong partisanship

Partisanship remains the strongest predictor of immigration attitudes throughout the poll. Democrats overwhelmingly express positive views, while Republicans are more likely to see immigration as harmful. Sixty percent of OC residents disapprove of President Trump's performance on immigration overall, with disapproval falling slightly to 55% specifically on border issues.

For the first time in recent national polling trends, Democrats (34%) and Republicans (32%) are rated roughly equal in their handling of immigration.

"Partisanship is the loudest signal in this data, but it is not the only one," Gould noted. "Lived experience - shaped by age, race and community ties - also plays a meaningful role in how Orange County residents think about immigration. That is what makes this county, and this poll, so instructive for understanding where the American public truly stands."

About the UCI-OC Poll: The UCI-OC Poll, which is supported by a grant from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, provides reliable survey data on issues confronting Orange County residents. It also brings business leaders together with elected officials and community members to discuss workable responses to these problems. Whether the challenges concern housing, education, the business climate, sustainability, transportation, crime or many other topics, area leaders are better equipped to navigate the local environment and respond if they have reliable, timely data on the attitudes, priorities and opinions of county residents and a neutral place and convener to consider them. Learn more at the UCI-OC Poll website.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

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