A strong majority of Americans believe that U.S. presidents should comply with federal court rulings, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. This comes amid growing criticism from former
President Donald Trump’s administration toward judges who have blocked some of his key initiatives.
The poll, conducted over three days and ending Sunday, found that 82% of respondents—including majorities of both Republicans and Democrats—agreed that the president should obey court decisions, even if they personally disagree with them.
However, attitudes shift when it comes to immigration, a cornerstone of Trump’s agenda. Among Republican respondents, 76% supported the Trump administration's decision to continue deporting individuals deemed a threat, even after a court ordered the practice to stop. Just 8% of Democrats supported defying the court in this case.
The results highlight a tension among Republican voters: while most uphold the authority of the courts in principle, many are willing to support Trump taking actions outside legal bounds to enforce immigration policy.
The issue centers on a recent immigration standoff, where the Trump administration used an obscure 18th-century law to justify deporting migrants it claimed were part of a Venezuelan gang. A judge ordered a pause on these deportations, but two flights had already taken off and were not returned, raising concerns about the administration potentially violating the court order.
Trump, who won the 2024 election campaigning on sweeping deportations, has acted aggressively on immigration since taking office. While deportation numbers early in his new term have lagged behind those under President Joe Biden, Trump has opened new paths for removing people from the U.S., including sending alleged gang members to jails in El Salvador.
The poll also offered a snapshot of Trump’s approval ratings. Forty-five percent of respondents said they approve of his job performance—up slightly from 44% in a mid-March poll. That approval is higher than during much of his first term (2017–2021) and exceeds Biden’s ratings throughout much of his presidency.
Trump receives his strongest support on immigration, with 49% approving of his handling of the issue. However, his ratings are much lower on other topics: only 38% approve of his management of the economy, 34% on cost of living, and 37% on foreign policy.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,030 U.S. adults nationwide and has a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.