Kristi Noem’s Unfavorability Jumps to 37% in January Poll Amid Border Controversy
Updated (2 articles)
January Survey Shows Sharp Rise in Disapproval A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll of 2,000 registered voters conducted Jan 28‑29 found Noem at 24 % favorable and 37 % unfavorable, a seven‑point increase from December’s 30 % disapproval and a net rating of –13, with a 2‑point sampling error [1].
Comparison Highlights Noem’s Unique Decline The same dataset recorded only minor unfavorable shifts for other national figures—President Trump (‑1), Marco Rubio (‑2), J.D. Vance (‑2), Gavin Newsom (0) and Joe Biden (+1)—making Noem’s seven‑point surge one of the most pronounced drops among the group [1].
ICE Approval Drops Concurrently Respondents also expressed low confidence in ICE, with approval falling to 44 % after the fatal Minneapolis shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, and majorities accusing the agency of excessive force and civil‑rights violations [1].
Political Reactions Emphasize Fallout A DHS spokesperson dismissed the poll, claiming Noem “doesn’t check with polls” and citing a 70 % conviction rate for illegal‑alien arrests; President Trump defended Noem’s border policies, while CNN analyst Harry Enten labeled the situation a “political disaster” for the administration [1].
Timeline
Late 2025 – DHS performance rating falls to 42 % (down from 59 % in 2017), reflecting growing public dissatisfaction with the department’s handling of immigration enforcement [2].
June 2025 – ICE net approval drops to –17 after controversial Los Angeles operations, marking a significant erosion of support before the Minneapolis incident [2].
July 2025 – Kristi Noem’s net approval sinks to –11 in a Quinnipiac poll, indicating a downward trend that precedes the 2026 polling decline [2].
Jan 24, 2026 – Federal agents shoot Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, igniting nationwide protests and intensifying scrutiny of DHS and its partner agencies [1][2].
Early Jan 2026 – President Trump sends border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to manage the fallout and report directly to him, signaling a federal escalation of the response [2].
Jan 28‑29, 2026 – Harvard CAPS/Harris poll of 2,000 registered voters records Noem’s unfavorability at 37 % and favorability at 24 %, a 7‑point rise in disapproval since December and a net rating of –13 [1].
Jan 2026 – DHS spokesperson declares, “the American people, the law, and common sense are on our side,” adding that Noem “doesn’t check with polls to decide whether or not she is going to enforce the law” [1].
Jan 2026 – President Trump defends Noem, saying, “I think she’s done a very good job…The border is totally secure,” despite the sharp polling decline [1].
Jan 2026 – CNN data analyst Harry Enten calls the Minneapolis and Los Angeles incidents “very much rejected by the American people,” labeling the situation “a political disaster for the second Trump administration” [1].
Jan 2026 – ICE approval drops to 44 % after the Minneapolis shootings, placing the agency among the least popular institutions in recent surveys [1].
Jan 2026 – ICE, DHS, and Noem hit historic low approval ratings, with ICE at –27 net, DHS job rating at 42 %, and Noem at –16 net, the lowest levels ever recorded for each entity [2].