ICE agents approach a house before detaining two people on Jan. 13 in Minneapolis.
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Recently, swing voters who backed President Trump in the 2024 election have expressed concerns about the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents following a fatal shooting in Minneapolis. The incident involved an ICE officer who shot Renee Macklin Good.
NPR observed focus groups comprising 14 voters from Pennsylvania, who initially supported Joe Biden in 2020 but switched to Trump in 2024. Among them, seven identified as Republicans, six as independents, and one as a Democrat.
This initiative is part of the Swing Voter Project by Engagious and Sago, with NPR as a partner.
Though focus groups are not statistically representative like polls, they offer insight into voter perspectives on current events.
In this focus group, eight participants felt that ICE’s actions were “about right,” while six believed they had “gone too far.” No one thought ICE had “not gone far enough.”
Rich Thau, president of Engagious and moderator of the discussions, noted “frustration with ICE and how ICE has been performing around the United States” among the Pennsylvania voters.
“There was widespread awareness of what happened to Renee Good on Jan. 7,” Thau stated. “The groups showed a significant division, reflecting broader dissatisfaction with current governmental execution.”
Divided blame for fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis
Participants had varied opinions on the blame for the shooting. Hassan C., a 39-year-old independent, felt the ICE agent was at fault, stating, “From what I saw in the video, she was trying to drive away and the ICE agent moved out of the way.”
However, opinions were mixed: four voters blamed Macklin Good, five the ICE agent, and four viewed both parties equally responsible. Grace P., a 60-year-old Republican, believed both were to blame, highlighting issues in officer training.
“These officers should be trained that you should never be shooting to kill,” Grace P. said.
Kimberly K., a 46-year-old independent, felt ICE’s actions were justified, citing her “soft spot” for law enforcement due to her husband’s career.
“I know that’s a job that not everybody can do,” she explained. “So I just feel like a job needs to be done and they’re doing it.”
Only two voters attributed any blame to Trump for the incident, despite his role in sending federal agents to Minnesota.
Voters want a clearer focus on the U.S. economy
Many voters expressed a desire for Trump to prioritize economic concerns over foreign policy. Recent military actions, such as the seizure of Venezuela’s leader and discussions about acquiring Greenland, have been controversial.
All 14 participants opposed using force to acquire Greenland. Trump has since stated a “framework” for a deal with European leaders was reached.
“There’s a concern that he’s trying to do too much on too many things,” Thau explained. “Their frustration here is with the international activities.”
Matt A., a 31-year-old Republican, expressed anxiety over Trump’s economic inattention.
“The everyday, middle-class working person sometimes gets forgotten in some of Trump’s policies,” he said.
Jeremy F., a 39-year-old independent, was critical of Trump’s focus on international issues.
“He ran very strongly opposing war and opposing military conflicts around the world,” Jeremy F. noted. “And now he’s just going left and right and starting them.”
Overall, eight out of 14 voters disapproved of Trump’s performance, with criticism also extended to Democrats, described as “weak” and “broken.”
