Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Divides Rural Voters, KFF-AP Poll Finds

A recent poll conducted by the Associated Press-KFF Health News reveals that rural voters in the United States are divided on the impact of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown policies on their communities. The survey, which polled over 2,000 rural voters in August, found that roughly one-third of respondents believed Trump's enforcement of immigration policies had been positive for their community, while another third felt it had been negative.

The remaining third of respondents, around 30%, indicated that the policies had no impact on their communities.

Trump had promised tough immigration enforcement during his 2024 campaign, and the survey highlights the significance of rural support for his Make America Great Again movement, which is particularly likely to view the policies positively. However, many rural voters also recognize the importance of immigrants to their local economies and express concerns about the extent of Trump's immigration actions.

Laura Leigh Taylor, a 37-year-old farmer and Trump supporter from Smithville, Georgia, expressed disapproval of the scope of the immigration crackdown, citing the deportation of a friend's hardworking father. She stated that while she understands the need to deport criminals, she feels that many people deported were not involved in criminal activity. Taylor now regrets her vote for Trump, citing the impact of Trump's immigration enforcement on families being uprooted.

Most rural voters prioritize immigration as a key issue for their midterm candidates, with three-quarters stating it is "extremely" or "very" important for candidates to address immigration during the election. However, this is lower than the share who prioritize other issues such as the cost of living, government program fraud, or healthcare costs.

Additionally, rural voters are less likely than the general public to believe that Trump has overstepped in his immigration efforts, with only about four in ten rural voters agreeing that Trump has "gone too far" in restricting legal immigration or deporting unauthorized immigrants.

David Grabowski, a professor of healthcare policy at Harvard Medical School, noted that research suggests immigrants actually use less healthcare than native-born Americans, arguing that they do not place an undue burden on the healthcare system. Overall, the survey indicates that immigrants play a crucial role in sustaining local industries in rural areas, with the vast majority of rural voters seeing legal immigrants as an important part of their local economies.