Here are the facts.
A large majority of Americans believe presidents must obey court rulings, according to a new national survey—but when it comes to protecting the border, Republican voters overwhelmingly stand with President Trump over activist judges.
In a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday, 82% of Americans said they believe the president should follow decisions from federal judges. Just 14% disagreed.
The poll results come as tensions escalate between the federal judiciary and the Trump administration, following court battles over executive actions aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and violent foreign gangs.
Trump Defends Use of 1798 Law to Remove Gang-Affiliated Migrants
The latest flashpoint involves U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who blocked the administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act—a law designed to protect Americans during times of foreign threats.
President Trump had authorized the deportation of Venezuelan nationals allegedly tied to the violent Tren de Aragua gang, a criminal organization spreading chaos across Latin America and now reaching U.S. soil.
In response to the judge’s ruling, Trump didn’t hold back.
“I’m just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do,” the President wrote on Truth Social.
“This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges I’m forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!”
GOP Voters Back Trump Over Judicial Overreach
While the media and legal critics attacked the move, Republican voters remain firmly behind Trump’s efforts to defend America’s borders.
According to the poll, 76% of Republicans support deporting migrants viewed as a public risk, even if a federal judge disagrees. By contrast, only 8% of Democrats agreed.
Former Obama official Norm Eisen, a vocal Trump critic, slammed the deportations during a CNN interview, claiming that people are being sent away “without any due process.”
But many conservative Americans see it differently: judges blocking national security actions are putting politics above public safety.
Judicial Overreach or Rule of Law?
The growing divide over immigration policy, judicial power, and national security is shaping up to be a key issue in 2024. For millions of Americans—especially seniors who value law and order—the question is simple:
Should unelected judges have the final say, even when American lives are on the line?
The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,030 U.S. adults between March 20 and March 23, with a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.