The majority of Americans disapprove of the way the Trump administration is using immigrant detention centers, a crucial point in its broader offensive against immigration, according to a recent CBS News/YouGov poll.

When asked about their stance on the use of detention centers to hold people facing deportation, 58% of respondents were against it, while only 42% expressed support for the policy.

Detention Centers on the Rise

The poll comes amid ongoing debate about increased detention policies under the Trump administration. Earlier this month, the Republicans' "big, beautiful bill," which includes billions of dollars to ramp up immigration enforcement, passed Congress.

Against this backdrop, the Trump administration and Florida leaders have established a new detention center in a remote area of the Everglades. Called "Alligator Alcatraz," the center recently opened with soft-sided detention units to house hundreds of detainees. The federal government is funding the project, while the Florida Division of Emergency Management is in charge of construction and management of the center.

Noem defends conditions

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the quality of conditions at detention centers after criticism from Democrats, who accused the federal government of treating detained immigrants in an inhumane manner.

In an interview with NBC, Noem said, Our detention centers at the federal level are held to higher standards than local or state facilities, and even federal prisons. The standards are extremely high.

Despite government defenses, the poll shows that public opinion remains overwhelmingly critical of Trump's harsh immigration policies. Fifty-three percent of respondents rated Trump and Republicans' handling of immigration as "too harsh." Only 18% thought the policy was not harsh enough, while 29% felt it was appropriate.

Concerns About Deportations

The poll also found that a majority of Americans believe the administration is deporting more people than they expected and that officials are not adequately targeting the removal of dangerous criminals.

The poll was conducted July 16-18 and included 2,343 respondents, with a margin of error of approximately 2.5 percentage points.