The exit poll from NBC News published this Tuesday —the day of the midterm elections in the United States— reveals that more than half of voters believe that Trump went too far with his immigration policy, a finding that serves as one of the clearest indicators of the electorate's mood during the second presidential term.
The survey, conducted by the firm SSRS on behalf of a coalition of media that includes NBC News, ABC News, AP, CBS News, CNN, and Fox News, gathered responses from over 450 polling locations across 15 key Senate states, as well as prior surveys by mail, phone, and digital means to capture those who voted early.
The exit poll numbers paint a picture of widespread disapproval of the presidential administration: only 38% of voters approved of Trump's performance on election day, compared to 45% who supported him in the 2018 midterms.
La política migratoria de Trump sigue siendo uno de los temas más debatidos en EE.UU. Mantente al día con todo lo que ocurre en nuestra sección de
Almost half of the participants described their vote as an opportunity for a "big rejection" of the president, and 43% acknowledged that expressing opposition to Trump was one of the reasons that brought them to the polls, a higher proportion than recorded eight years ago.
The rejection of immigration policy is particularly pronounced among Latino voters. According to a poll by NBC News and Telemundo on Latino voters conducted between September 21 and 28, 67% of that group felt that deportation measures have gone too far, and 69% disapproved of Trump's management of immigration.
That Latin American distancing is significant because in 2024 Trump had garnered historically high support among that segment of the electorate. The shift was also reflected in preferences for Congressional control: 59% of Latinos preferred that Democrats control the chambers, compared to the 35% that leaned toward Republicans.
The immigration offensive by Trump included massive ICE operations with nearly 51,000 arrests just in August 2026 and around 660,000 deportations projected for the fiscal year, according to the Migration Policy Institute. These figures generated a backlash that transcended the boundaries of the Democratic vote: among independent Latinos, disapproval of immigration policy reached 74%.
Nevertheless, Republicans maintain an advantage in the perception of who manages immigration better: 45% compared to 34% for Democrats, according to a national NBC News poll conducted between October 28 and 30 with 1,000 registered voters. That same poll placed Trump's overall approval rating at 40% and disapproval at 60%.
This Tuesday's election is taking place with control of Congress at stake. The Democrats needed a net gain of about four seats to seize both the House of Representatives—where the Republicans had an advantage of 218-214—and the Senate, where the margin was 53-47. Before the polls closed, projections gave them an 80% chance of regaining the House and a 57% chance of conquering the Senate.
The economy and the war with Iran were also among the central topics of the day. In Hamtramck, Michigan, voter Aimon Islam summed up the feelings of many citizens: "We are supposed to be a superpower in the world. We are supposed to be the best country in the world, and people can’t afford to buy food."
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