Americans split on ICE use of force
Five charts to start your day
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This chart captures something deeper than a single incident. It shows how immigration enforcement and public trust now sit firmly inside political identity in the US.
A majority of adults see the ICE shooting in Minneapolis as inappropriate, with 51% saying it reflects wider problems in ICE operations. Among Democrats and leaners that view jumps to 83%. Republicans and leaners move the other way, with 56% calling it appropriate.
The same pattern shows up when people are asked whether ICE enforcement makes cities safer. Overall sentiment leans negative, but partisan views are almost mirror images. What one side sees as public safety, the other sees as institutional failure.
This matters because policing and immigration policy rely on legitimacy as much as force. When perceptions diverge this sharply, accountability becomes contested and reform debates turn into tribal arguments rather than practical ones.
Source: Strength in numbers
What struck me putting this edition together is how rarely we talk about confidence as an economic force. We obsess over growth rates and policy settings, but belief quietly shapes behaviour long before statistics confirm it. When trust erodes, systems still function, but they do so less smoothly and with more friction.
That matters for investors, policymakers and citizens alike. Markets price outcomes, but societies live through transitions. The gap between the two is where volatility and opportunity both emerge.
I have four more charts that expand this story and add further context around power, perception and change. They are for paid subscribers. Consider joining if you want the full edition and a clearer view of what is shifting beneath the surface.
