How Immigration Enforcement Is Shaping Community Safety Perceptions in 2026
years of comparative data
7
Americans surveyed per state
100
total responses per year
5,000
questions fielded in 2025
34
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6 min read
Reviewed ByThis companion analysis builds on national survey findings to explore how enforcement visibility and state-level policy developments may influence how safe communities feel in 2026.
Read Part I: National Findings on Immigration Enforcement & Safety Perception
Immigration enforcement isn’t just a policy issue anymore — it’s showing up in how people feel about safety in their own communities.
As enforcement activity has become more visible in early 2026 — driven by legislative changes, expanded state-federal coordination, and widespread media coverage — Americans are increasingly viewing immigration enforcement through a safety lens.
New national SafeWise survey data show that 62% of Americans are concerned about current enforcement activity, and more people say it makes their community feel less safe than safer.
The shift isn’t about panic, it’s about perception. People are paying closer attention to what’s happening around them, adjusting how they move through their daily lives within their communities, and experiencing safety in more fragmented, uneven ways.
Visibility and perception are closely linked
Immigration enforcement has historically been viewed primarily as a federal (and border state) issue. In 2026, however, national and state-level legislative activity and enforcement partnerships have increased their visibility in communities that are far from the southern border.
In several states, lawmakers have advanced or enacted measures that require closer cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. Expanded participation in the federal 287(g) program now authorizes certain state and local officers to carry out designated immigration enforcement functions under ICE direction. Coordinated enforcement operations — along with public statements framing immigration as a public safety priority — have further elevated attention.
At the same time, high-profile enforcement incidents and protest activity in cities across the country have sustained national media coverage.
287(g), explained:
The federal 287(g) program allows trained state and local law enforcement officers to carry out limited federal immigration enforcement duties under the direction of ICE.
Research consistently shows that visibility influences perception.1,2,3 When enforcement activity becomes more visible — whether through legislation, operational partnerships, or news coverage — public awareness increases. In our survey, awareness and concern track closely: 65% report high awareness of enforcement activity, and 62% report elevated concern.
This alignment suggests that immigration enforcement concern is tied to increased exposure and public discussion rather than a lack of information
The primary fear is instability
Notably, respondents’ top concerns center on unpredictability and uncertainty about how enforcement activities may affect daily life.
The most frequently cited enforcement-related fears are:
- Community tension or unrest
- Risk of crime or violence
- Mistaken identity or wrongful detention
This pattern suggests that residents are less focused on abstracts like policy and more focused on pragmatic, first-person risks.
Periods of heightened enforcement visibility can create:
- Perceived unpredictability
- Concerns about conflict between residents
- Concerns about conflict with enforcement officers
- Uncertainty about how enforcement actions will unfold locally
Even for people who aren’t directly affected, the perception of instability can shape how safe a community feels.
Importantly, this dynamic doesn’t require widespread incidents. Publicized events, legislative shifts, and visible coordination between agencies can be enough to shift how people perceive safety.
Concern is elevated — but disruption is selective
While concern is widespread, behavioral change is more measured.
Nearly one-third of Americans report that immigration enforcement concerns have altered their daily behavior. However, nearly two-thirds report no change.
Among those who have adjusted their behavior, the most common response is avoidance — staying away from certain areas or events — rather than investing in additional security measures.
This distinction matters because it signals how people are responding to perceived risk.
Avoidance reflects caution, not crisis. It suggests that many residents are monitoring conditions and making situational adjustments — not retreating from public life altogether.
This “anxiety–action gap” is well documented in safety psychology: concern often rises faster than meaningful lifestyle disruption.
Communities are alert — but largely continuing their daily routines.
Spotlight: When policy visibility and perception intersect
State-level signals in this survey, while based on small subsamples, suggest that enforcement visibility may influence perception in ways that don’t map neatly to geography.
Enforcement visibility and community safety perception: Selected state signals
Concern levels in selected states appear to align with highly visible enforcement and policy activity. These findings suggest that perception may be influenced by local legislative developments and publicized enforcement actions.
State | % concerned
 | % say less safe
| % behavior change
| Recent enforcement context |
| West Virginia | 84% | 56% | 44% | SB 615 passed; 287(g) expansion; ICE-state police arrests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 76% | 60% | 44% | High-profile enforcement incidents; public protests |
| California | 76% | 43% | 56% | High visibility; local policy resistance debates |
| Vermont | 42% | 29% | 18% | Lower enforcement visibility |
Note: State results reflect small subsamples (n≈25 per state) and should be interpreted as directional indicators, not exact statewide estimates.
West Virginia
According to our immigration pulse survey, respondents in West Virginia reported higher concern about immigration enforcement activity than respondents in most other states. About 84% of West Virginia respondents selected high concern (5–7 on a 7-point scale), and more than half said enforcement makes their community feel less safe.
Due to the smaller state-level sample sizes (25/state), the findings should be interpreted as directional rather than definitive. That said, recent policy developments may help explain the heightened concern reported by West Virginia respondents.
In early 2026, West Virginia lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 615, which requires local law enforcement agencies to notify and cooperate with federal immigration authorities under specified circumstances. The state also expanded participation in the federal 287(g) program, allowing certain state and local officers to carry out designated immigration enforcement functions in coordination with ICE.
Public emphasis from state leaders framing immigration enforcement as a public safety priority, along with coordinated operations involving state police and federal authorities, may have increased enforcement visibility across the state.
West Virginia is not a border state and has a smaller immigrant population than many coastal states. Yet the data suggest that policy visibility — not proximity — may be shaping concern.
Learn more about safety perceptions in West Virginia.
Minnesota
Minnesota also shows elevated concern and higher-than-average reports that enforcement reduces community safety. In recent months, due to Operation Metro Surge, the state has experienced high-profile enforcement incidents and organized protest activity that received national coverage.
Even for residents not directly affected, sustained visibility may contribute to heightened awareness and concern.
Learn more about safety perceptions in Minnesota.
California
California respondents report both high concern and the highest levels of self-reported behavior change. Ongoing public debate between state and federal officials over immigration policy — combined with media attention and visible local enforcement activity — may contribute to greater lifestyle adjustments in densely populated areas.
Even for residents not directly affected, sustained visibility may contribute to heightened awareness and concern.
Learn more about safety perceptions in California.
Vermont
By contrast, Vermont respondents report comparatively lower concern levels. Despite heightened immigration enforcement activity at the northern border, lower enforcement visibility and fewer publicized legislative shifts may help explain this stabilizing counterpoint.
Learn more about safety perceptions in Vermont.
In summary
Taken together, these state patterns suggest that concern doesn’t align strictly with border proximity or immigrant population size. Instead, enforcement visibility — legislative, operational, or media-driven — appears to be a significant factor.
What this signals for communities
The data point that exposes a broader reality: safety is both operational and psychological.
Even when crime rates are stable, perception can shift in response to heightened visibility of and public debate about community safety issues. When enforcement activity becomes part of everyday conversation, it can change how residents interpret what’s happening around them.
When concern is elevated, communities can reduce uncertainty with:
- Clear, transparent communication about things like enforcement scope
- Public education about legal processes and protections for community members
- Consistent messaging from local leadership
- Clear distinction between rumor and verified information
Fragmented views of safety call for measured responses. In this survey, Americans are divided among those who believe enforcement improves safety, those who believe it reduces safety, and those who believe it has little impact.
In this kind of environment, clarity reduces speculation — an increasingly important insight when speculation often fuels anxiety.
A period of heightened awareness
The national picture that emerges is not one of uniform alarm — nor of indifference.
Americans are paying attention, and concern is elevated. That said, behavior changes are selective, and views remain mixed.
In periods of heightened enforcement visibility, understanding how residents feel may be just as important as understanding the policies in place.
Perception is often a leading indicator of community confidence.
Monitoring those shifts — and responding with transparency and clarity — may be one of the most important safety tools communities have in 2026.
Methodological Note
This analysis builds on findings from SafeWise’s February 2026 national pulse survey of 1,250 U.S. adults. The survey carries a margin of error of approximately ±2.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. State-level findings reflect small subsamples (approximately n≈25 per state) and should be interpreted as directional signals rather than precise statewide estimates.
For full methodology details, see Part I of the 2026 Special Report.
Rebecca Edwards
Managing Editor & Lead Safety Expert
Rebecca is the Managing Editor and Lead Safety Expert at SafeWise, where she oversees the editorial direction, accuracy, and interpretation of SafeWise’s original safety research. She specializes in crime trends, home and personal security, and translating complex safety data into clear, trusted insights for consumers, media, and policymakers.
Cathy Habas
Senior Writer, Family Safety & Data Projects
Cathy is a Senior Writer at SafeWise, focusing on family and personal safety, as well as data-driven research projects. Her work contributes to SafeWise’s annual reports and special studies, helping contextualize survey findings and safety trends for households and families across the U.S.
Daniel Delgado
Data Analyst, SafeWise
Danny is a data analyst at SafeWise, supporting the collection, analysis, and interpretation of proprietary survey data and crime trends, as well as external crime and safety data and trends. His work contributes to the State of Safety report, Safest Cities rankings, and ongoing state- and city-level safety analysis.
Ben Stickle, PhD
Criminologist & Expert Adviser/Reviewer
Dr. Ben Stickle is a criminologist and professor whose research focuses on crime trends, criminal behavior, and public safety. He serves as an expert reviewer for SafeWise’s safety research, providing subject-matter expertise and guidance on interpreting crime-related findings.
Sources & references
- Gramlich, J., Eddy, K. (2024). Pew Research Center. "The link between local news coverage and Americans’ perceptions of crime."
- Kruis, N. E., Donohue, R. H., Glunt, N., Rowland, N. J., & Choi, J.(2023). Criminal Justice Policy Review. "Examining the Effects of Perceptions of Police Effectiveness, Procedural Justice, and Legitimacy on Racial Differences in Anticipated Cooperation With Law Enforcement in Pennsylvania."
- Sun, R., Ye, X., Tang, J., Yang, J., & Scott, N. (2023). Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1201481. "The impact of the intensity of media use on potential tourists’ risk perception and travel protective behavioral intentions in COVID-19."
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