North Dakota Poll Finds Strong Support for Local Police Cooperation with ICE Despite National Controversy

A new poll from the North Dakota News Cooperative exposes broad state support for local law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with 68% of respondents approving such collaboration. This strong approval persists even in Fargo and Cass County, where 56% support local police working alongside ICE agents, despite recent violent ICE operations in neighboring Minnesota that resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens.

The poll's findings sharply contrast with national outrage over ICE tactics, revealing a unique local perspective shaped by North Dakota’s relatively limited immigration enforcement compared to Democratic-led states. State Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan, a Democrat from Fargo, expressed surprise at the numbers and cautioned against the misleading narrative that ICE only targets criminals. “We haven’t had nearly the level of enforcement in North Dakota as we’ve had in Democratic states,” Hogan said, pointing to cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis where ICE actions have sparked widespread criticism and unrest.

Republican leadership also expressed some surprise, particularly at the relatively modest Democratic opposition to ICE cooperation and the high level of support in urban areas like Fargo. Speaker of the North Dakota House Robin Weisz noted that much of the public’s concern about election security stems from perceptions shaped by media coverage of other states rather than local realities. “We probably have the most secure mail-in [voting] of any state in the nation,” Weisz said, underscoring North Dakota’s strict voter ID laws and cross-referencing procedures designed to prevent illegal voting.

The poll also sheds light on election-related attitudes: while only 7% of respondents ranked voter fraud or election security as their top concern, a majority (61%) identified election security as their primary worry regarding elections, with 75% supporting proof of citizenship requirements for voters. These views persist despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the state, a fact underscored by Hogan’s assertion that “we have no voter fraud in North Dakota.”

Faith in local public officials remains high, especially among Republicans, with 68% saying officials are accountable to the people. Democrats were more skeptical, with 62% expressing doubts about official accountability. Political science professor Mark Jendrysik suggested that North Dakotans’ higher trust might be due to the closer, more personal connections between officials and constituents in a less populous state.

Partisan divides extend to views on party representation. While most North Dakota Democrats and Republicans feel their state parties represent their views, skepticism grows at the national level. Only 38% of Democrats believe the national Democratic Party represents their views, while 54% of Republicans feel the national GOP aligns with most Republican voters, despite concerns about ties to the MAGA movement and party establishment.

Conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy in April 2026, this survey interviewed 625 adult North Dakotans, reflecting a cross-section of Republicans (41%), independents (37%), and Democrats (22%). The North Dakota Poll remains the state’s only regular, nonpartisan survey of eligible voters, providing a window into the unique political landscape of a state often overshadowed in national debates.

The findings highlight how local realities can diverge sharply from national narratives, especially on hot-button issues like immigration enforcement and election integrity. They also underscore the ongoing challenge of combating misinformation and nationalized political messaging that distorts public understanding and fuels division.