Immediately upon taking office to begin his second term, and amid great outcry from Democrats and the media, President Donald Trump unleashed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to begin apprehending and deporting illegal migrants with criminal records.

A recent poll of New Yorkers found that despite the vocal opposition from some politicians and journalists, 79% support the deportation of criminal illegal migrants while just 11% disapprove of the efforts, Fox News reported.

That nearly 80% support for deporting criminal aliens included solid majorities of not just Republicans but also independents and even Democrats.

Surprise poll finds support for Trump's deportation efforts

Between Jan. 27-30, the pollsters at Siena College surveyed 803 registered voters in New York and, with a 4.2% margin of error, asked several questions about President Trump and some of his major initiatives to start his second term in the White House, including the deportations of illegal migrants.

The pollsters found that 79% of New Yorkers supported the deportation of illegal aliens with criminal records while just 11% opposed it. That overwhelming majority included 91% of Republicans, 86% of independents, and even 69% of Democrats, with just 4%, 8%, and 16% opposed, respectively.

There was far less support, however, for the deportation of illegal aliens without criminal records, as just 39% supported that while 42% opposed it. For Republicans, 64% approved while 15% were opposed, while for independents, 43% were in support while 32% disagreed, and for Democrats, the numbers were 24% in favor and 59% in opposition.

Relatedly, the pollsters also discovered that a plurality of New York voters, 48%-31%, supported their state's leaders being cooperative with federal immigration officials' efforts to apprehend and deport illegal migrants.

That number in support included 81% of Republicans and 59% of independents but just 28% of Democrats. Of those who opposed the state cooperating with federal deportation efforts, that included 50% of Democrats, 17% of independents, and just 6% of Republicans.

New Yorkers say deport criminal illegals, leave non-criminals alone

In a press release that accompanied the poll results, Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said, "While there is overwhelming support for deporting illegal immigrants with a criminal record -- 91% of Republicans, 86% of independents, and 69% of Democrats -- voters are closely divided on deporting illegal immigrants without a criminal record."

"Nearly two-thirds of Republicans and a plurality of independents support deporting non-criminal immigrants, but Democrats oppose such deportations, 59-24%," he continued.

Greenberg added, "New Yorkers continue to say -- at least Republicans and independents do -- that the state should support federal efforts to deport illegal migrants."

Vast majority of deported illegals had criminal records and prior removal orders

Interestingly enough, according to The Epoch Times, the vast majority of the more than 5,000 illegal migrants who were detained and deported by the Trump administration in its first week, an astounding 97%, were individuals with criminal records who already had final removal orders against them.

In sharing that stunning news with reporters, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "What we won’t do is defy our nation’s immigration laws like the previous administration who had these orders of removal on illegal immigrants across the country and were refusing to execute them," and added, "We will continue to remove illegal criminals from our nation’s interior sanctuary city leaders."

Also, in a direct warning to the leaders of those uncooperative sanctuary jurisdictions, Leavitt asserted that "they would be very wise to comply with this administration because this administration is hellbent on enforcing our nation’s immigration laws and this administration will continue to arrest and detain and deport illegal migrant criminals."