Republicans outpolled Democrats on the issue of immigration 44 percent to 40 percent, according to exit polls Tuesday.

A second question showed that 21 percent of election-day voters said President Donald Trump’s enforcement of immigration law “has not gone far enough.”

The poll also showed that 23 percent said Trump’s immigration policies were “about right,” while a majority of 57 percent said his policies have “gone too far.”

The “gone too far” group includes many Americans who have a weak opposition to Trump’s policies and do not see the immigration issue as important.

That weak opposition group is likely swayed by the establishment’s decision to focus on the turmoil of deportation, and to hide the economic and civic benefits for ordinary Americans created by deporting foreign renters, criminals, and workers.

That weak opposition share of the electorate was spotlighted by the overall question, “Which party is better able to handle immigration?” The GOP won 44 percent, while Democrats only got 40 percent.

The 44 percent to 40 percent result is narrower than a pre-election poll, which showed that registered voters gave the GOP an 11-point advantage on the question.

Breitbart News has carefully tracked many polls about migration. Those polls, with their shortcomings, show strong support for the deportation of illegals. But Democratic voters overwhelmingly oppose migration enforcement — although they are not as focused on the issue as are GOP voters.

CBS News reported on the poll, saying:

When voters are asked to pick their most important issue from a list, the economy comes out on top, followed by the state of democracy. Those voting for Democrats prioritize the state of democracy — an issue that has long concerned them.

For those backing Republicans, the economy is their most important issue, followed by immigration.

The seven-point difference between the pre-election poll and the exit polls may be partly explained by a greater Democrat turnout on Election Day.

One other aspect of the poll is that it does not show how much of a loss the GOP would have taken if it had not worked to arrest and deport so many migrants. In other words, Trump’s immigration promises were vital in his 2016 and 2024 wins, and GOP support would likely have tanked in 2026 if he were not trying to carry out his mandate.

The exit polls are conducted by SSRS for a group of media outlets, including NBC News, ABC News, The Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, and MS NOW. The interviews were conducted at 450 polling sites in 15 states.