New immigration enforcement training graduates on Saturday Note: Faces blurred by ICE
Credit: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE)
November 2, 2025 - Last week a new PPIC California Survey was released. The following are a few of the findings.
Approval ratings for President Trump, Congress remain low. Majorities disapprove of the federal budget bill, tariffs, and ICE.
Twenty-six percent of Californians and a third of likely voters (33%) approve of the way President Trump is handling his job; far fewer approve of the US Congress (14% adults, 17% likely voters). Californians are also less than enthusiastic about some of President Trump’s initiatives: nearly seven in ten Californians (69%) and likely voters (67%) disapprove of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress. Majorities of California adults (72%) and likely voters (66%) also oppose the US placing new tariffs on goods imported from other countries.
When asked about immigration policy, strong majorities of Californians (71%) and likely voters (65%) disapprove of the job the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) is doing. Majorities across all demographic groups and state regions express disapproval, while Republicans (78%) overwhelmingly approve of the job ICE is doing. Nearly half (49% adults, 46% likely voters) worry that someone they know could be deported due to increased federal immigration enforcement. Majorities favor a way for undocumented immigrants to stay in the US legally (74% adults, 69% likely voters) and view immigrants as a benefit to the state (73% adults, 68% likely voters).
“Approval ratings of the president and Congress remain low in California and the president’s signature policies are garnering little support,” Baldassare said. “Most Californians disapprove of how ICE is performing its job and oppose the federal budget bill and new tariffs.”
Views of state officials are rosier: Majorities of adults (54%) and likely voters (55%) approve of the way Governor Newsom is handling his job, and about half (49% adults, 52% likely voters) approve of the job the state legislature is doing.
About the Survey
The Californians and Their Government survey is supported with funding from the Arjay R. and Frances F. Miller Foundation.
The findings are based on responses from 1,707 California adult residents. The sampling error is ±3 percent at the 95 percent confidence level for the total unweighted sample and ±4.1 percent for the 943 likely voters. Interviewing took place from October 7-14, 2025. For more information, please see the methodology section in the full survey report.
Mark Baldassare is statewide survey director at PPIC, where he holds the Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Public Policy. He is founder of the PPIC Statewide Survey, which he has directed since 1998.
The Public Policy Institute of California is dedicated to informing and improving public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research. We are a public charity. We do not take or support positions on any ballot measure or on any local, state, or federal legislation, nor do we endorse, support, or oppose any political parties or candidates for public office. Research publications reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders or of the staff, officers, advisory councils, or board of directors of the Public Policy Institute of California.
Source: PPIC
