Americans view immigration as the main challenge for Trump

A new survey conducted by Reuters/Ipsos revealed on Friday that immigration is the main issue Americans expect the elected president, Donald Trump, to address once he takes office in January 2025.

The Republican, who has promised an aggressive approach to illegal immigration, faces a divided public opinion regarding his plans for mass deportations.

According to the survey conducted over two days, 25% of respondents believe that immigration should be Trump's top priority in his first 100 days in office.

The figure is significantly higher than the percentages voters assigned to other issues, such as income inequality (14%) or tax reform (12%).

The survey also indicates a widespread consensus on the likelihood of Trump carrying out mass deportations.

Eighty-two percent of respondents believe it is likely that the president will implement a large-scale deportation operation, with a notable division in responses between Democrats and Republicans.

While 90% of Republicans do not feel concerned about potential deportations, 82% of Democrats and 40% of independents have expressed their worries about the implications of such measures.

Trump has based part of his campaign on the promise to expel one million undocumented immigrants each year. He has even discussed coordinating efforts with Republican-led state governments and using federal funds to pressure jurisdictions that oppose mass deportations.

Additionally, his running mate, JD Vance, has suggested that this operation could become one of the largest deportation efforts in the country's history.

In the survey, 58% of Republicans (but only 15% of Democrats) agreed with the statement that unauthorized immigrants should be arrested and placed in detention centers while awaiting their deportation hearings.

On the other hand, 75% of Democrats opposed this measure, as did 31% of Republicans.

Immigrant rights advocates have strongly criticized Trump's plans, labeling them as costly, divisive, and inhumane.

The elected leader stated in a recent interview with NBC News that he is committed to fulfilling his promise, regardless of the costs, asserting, "It's not a matter of price... We really have no other option."

The survey, conducted online with 1,471 adults across the country, has a margin of error of 3 percentage points for the total sample, and 5 percentage points for the groups of Republicans and Democrats.