Public Support for DHS Climbs Faster Than Any Other Federal Agency, Survey Finds

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recorded the sharpest rise in public approval among all U.S. federal agencies this year, according to a new Gallup poll conducted, as 42% of Americans rated DHS's performance as "excellent" or "good," a 10-point increase from last year's record low of 32%.

The rise stands out in contrast to declining approval for nearly every other major federal agency. Gallup found that six agencies—including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the CIA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—saw their lowest ratings since the poll began tracking them, while the U.S. Postal Service remained the only agency with a majority-positive rating at 56%.

FEMA experienced the steepest drop, falling 20 percentage points from 46 to 26 percent after a Government Accountability Office report concluded the Trump administration had illegally withheld some of the agency's grants. Other agencies, including the EPA and FDA, also saw declines, while the IRS and the Department of Veterans Affairs remained near record lows.

Gallup noted that the political shift since President Donald Trump returned to office has contributed to the polarization of views toward federal institutions. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents now give majority-level positive ratings to DHS, the Department of Defense, and the FBI, while Democrats express majority approval only for NASA and the Postal Service.

The gap between Republican and Democratic views of DHS is among the largest recorded, at 59% points.

The surge in DHS approval comes as the Trump administration continues a major immigration crackdown, which the department credits for a historic decline in illegal crossings. On Tuesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported the "lowest U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions since 1970," with 237,565 arrests at the southwest border during fiscal year 2025—an 87% decrease compared to the four-year average prior to Trump's return to office.

The poll was conducted before the partial federal government shutdown that began on October 1. It surveyed 1,000 adults nationwide and carries a margin of error of four percentage points.