A new AP-KFF poll finds that President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown has divided rural voters, a constituency that helped deliver his return to the White House, just months before the 2026 midterm elections approach.

The survey, conducted jointly by The Associated Press and KFF, examined attitudes in rural communities across the United States. Its central finding: rural voters do not speak with one voice on the administration's enforcement-heavy immigration agenda. Instead, the crackdown has opened a visible split within a voting bloc that both parties will court in the midterms.

What does the poll measure?

The AP-KFF poll asked residents of rural America how they view the president's immigration policies, including the broader enforcement push that has defined his current term. Respondents differed sharply on whether the crackdown serves their communities' interests. Some rural voters back the harder line, while others in the same communities express concern about its effects.

The poll's release comes as the midterm campaign season takes shape. Rural counties carried significant weight in recent national elections, and both major parties treat them as competitive terrain. A visible fracture in rural opinion on immigration — an issue the White House has placed at the center of its agenda — adds uncertainty to those calculations.

Who is affected?

The findings matter to several audiences:

• Rural voters themselves, whose communities are the subject of the survey and who hold the ballots that will decide competitive midterm races.
• Immigrant workers and families in rural areas, who live with the practical consequences of the enforcement policies the poll measures.
• Campaign strategists in both parties, who must now weigh how the immigration split plays in districts where rural turnout is decisive.

Why the divide matters now

Immigration enforcement has been a signature issue of the Trump administration. The poll suggests that even among voters who supported the president, the crackdown does not command uniform approval. That nuance complicates the assumption that tough immigration policy is a universal winner with rural audiences.

With midterms approaching, the split gives openings to both sides. Candidates who favor stricter enforcement can campaign on it where support is strong. Opponents can point to dissent within the president's own base to argue the agenda overreaches.

How to read the results

Polls capture opinion at a single moment. The AP-KFF survey documents where rural attitudes stand as the midterm cycle begins, not where they will end on election day. Campaign messaging, economic conditions, and further enforcement actions can all shift these numbers before voters cast ballots.

Readers seeking the full methodology, sample composition, and detailed crosstabs should consult the original AP-KFF poll release and the Associated Press coverage of the findings.