Americans closely following news of ICE operations – and many moved to act, says survey

Americans are closely following news of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Minnesota and other cities across the country – and many want to take action against companies supporting it, according to a new opinion survey out today.

Two out of three respondents to the latest Media & Technology Survey from the Communication Research Center at Boston University’s College of Communication agreed or strongly agreed that they pay close attention to news and social media about ICE operations.

Of those paying close attention, just more than half (51%) say they would support calls to boycott companies that support ICE operations.

“The fact that people are paying close attention to news about ICE operations indicates an underlying interest and curiosity about these operations,” said Arunima Krishna, co-author of the survey and associate professor of public relations at Boston University College of Communication.

“Such curiosity and interest in a social problem is referred to as situational motivation, and my research has shown that situational motivation about a social problem increases their boycotting intentions and reduces supportive behaviors when they perceive a corporation to exacerbate the problem,” she added.

A clear majority of all respondents (50% vs. 33%) say they do not support ICE operations in states such as Minnesota.

Smaller pluralities are confident that boycotts of companies that financially or politically support ICE operations will influence policy, (41% to 36%) and respondents are almost evenly split in their willingness to actively encourage friends or family to participate in such boycotts (37% vs. 39%).

Survey Summary

Respondents to this month’s Media & Technology Survey were asked how much they agreed or disagreed with the following statements:

I have been paying close attention to news and social media coverage of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in states like Minnesota.

Strongly Agree: 29% 
Agree: 42%
Neither Agree or Disagree: 17%
Disagree: 9%
Strongly Disagree: 3%

I support ICE operations in states like Minnesota.

Strongly Agree: 18% 
Agree: 15%
Neither Agree or Disagree: 17%
Disagree: 15%
Strongly Disagree: 35%

I would support calls to boycott companies that financially or politically support ICE operations.

Strongly Agree: 23% 

Agree: 18%
Neither Agree or Disagree: 23%
Disagree: 14%
Strongly Disagree: 22%

I think boycotts of companies that support ICE are an effective way to influence government policy.

Strongly Agree: 17% 
Agree: 24%
Neither Agree or Disagree: 23%
Disagree: 14%
Strongly Disagree: 22%

I would actively encourage friends or family to participate in boycotts of companies that support ICE operations.

Strongly Agree: 20% 
Agree: 17%
Neither Agree or Disagree: 24%
Disagree: 15%
Strongly Disagree: 24%

About the Media & Technology Survey

The Media & Technology Survey is an ongoing project of the Communication Research Center (CRC) at Boston University’s College of Communication. This month’s polls were conducted in English on February 17 to 18, 2026. This online survey has a credibility interval (CI) of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The data were weighted to the U.S. population data by region, gender, age and education. Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error.