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President Donald Trump has been pushing mass deportations, aggressive law enforcement measures and a sweeping expansion of the death penalty as the path to public safety -- all while cutting the very programs that actually make communities safer.

Voters aren't buying it.

New research from the American Civil Liberties Union, conducted in February 2025 in partnership with YouGov, shows voters want leaders to invest in crime prevention by improving access to mental health care, addiction treatment, economic opportunities and alternative crisis response models in lieu of punitive policies that harm and criminalize communities.

The Trump administration, however, has cut the very programs that voters want and that actually make communities safer. The Department of Government Efficiency and the Department of Justice have slashed millions, and terminated funding entirely, for grant programs that make crime prevention possible. These cuts are sowing fear, chaos and confusion -- none of which foster community safety.

This May, ACLU leaders from our national office and 10 state affiliates convened in Washington, D.C., for our second annual Community Safety Week where they stood up to that dangerous agenda and to demand that Congress safeguard proven solutions. Alongside grassroots advocates, public health experts, violence intervention specialists and alternative crisis response experts, we called on Congress to reject harmful cuts and instead invest in community-based strategies that prevent violence, promote justice and ensure long-term safety.

Americans Want Solutions That Uplift Communities Economically

The ACLU national survey of registered voters shows that economic issues are top of mind for most Americans. Thirty percent of voters say inflation and cost of living are their top concern, followed by 21% who say they are concerned about presidential abuse of power. Only 5% list crime and public safety as their most pressing issue. This doesn't mean people don't care about crime and public safety; it means they see it as connected to broader systemic failures. They recognize that crime is often a symptom of chronic underinvestment in health care, housing and economic opportunity.

When it comes to public safety, Americans want solutions that economically uplift their communities. Seventy-nine percent of voters across the political spectrum say that addressing poverty, economic despair and lack of opportunities would help improve safety in communities a lot or some.

The Public Supports Prevention Over Punishment

A supermajority of voters -- 85% -- believes expanding mental health care and addiction treatment would improve safety in communities, with 68% of voters supporting sending mental health specialists to appropriate crisis calls instead of police.

Most voters also believe that homelessness is a housing issue, not a crime issue. A majority of voters -- 75% --say that lack of affordable housing is the primary cause of homelessness, compared to 25% of voters who say that homelessness is caused by people being allowed to live on the street without facing criminal consequences. Seventy-seven percent say that we need to address homelessness through housing and services rather than arrests.

Cuts to essential services that help people out of homelessness, substance use disorders and other mental health crises don't just defy common sense, but they also run counter to what most Americans know is effective.

The Public Rejects Failed Mass Incarceration Policies

Voters don't just prefer preventative policies; they also reject the notion that punitive measures make communities safe. In fact, 64% believe overreliance on prisons causes many of the problems that lead to unsafe communities, such as homelessness, poverty and drug or mental health challenges.

While elected leaders in both parties have relied on fear-based messaging, pushing ideas like enhanced criminal penalties and increased police power as the way to keep communities safe, voters no longer buy it. Sixty-six percent of voters say that we should prioritize rehabilitation over incarceration to safely reduce the prison population, demonstrating their belief that extreme sentencing is ineffective.

Trump Administration Funding Cuts Are Unpopular

Given voters' clear support for investments that uplift communities, it's not surprising that 60% are concerned that President Trump is going too far in slashing the federal government, eliminating important programs and critical services that many Americans rely on. Programs that have lost funding include those that provide mentorship to children, reduce violence, help people find housing and provide addiction treatment and mental health care.

While cutting money for critical services Americans support, Trump is simultaneously asking Congress for hundreds of millions of dollars to carry out deportation plans that most Americans don't want and don't believe contribute to safety. Sixty-three percent of voters are convinced that "deporting our neighbors and tearing apart families only makes private prison corporations and their CEOs richer" and that "politicians should prioritize real solutions to prevent crime and reduce violence, like investments in quality schools, living wages, affordable housing, and increased access to mental health and addiction treatment."

Regardless of Political Party, Prevention Messaging Wins

Americans across the political divide want lawmakers to lead with solutions that prevent crime, rather than focusing on punishment in the aftermath. When elected officials -- regardless of party affiliation -- focus on the need to ensure access to health care, jobs and housing in their public messaging, they win support by at least eight points, compared to someone focusing on putting more people behind bars.

Even in states that Trump won, sometimes quite handily, voters prefer solutions over punishment. Voters in Tennessee (84%) and North Carolina (87%), for instance, agree that increasing access to mental health care and treatment for drug addiction would help improve safety in communities a lot or some. At the same time, 59% of North Carolina voters and 63% of Tennessee voters believe that an overreliance on prisons causes unsafe communities.

Congress Must Listen to the Will of the People

Seizing funds proven to contribute to making our communities safer is reckless and cruel, and it will lead to untold suffering and harm. When mental health clinics close, when homeless shelters lose funding and when job training programs disappear, the social challenges don't just vanish. They show up in emergency rooms, in overcrowded jails and in rising desperation.

The American public agrees on a way forward in addressing the root causes of crime, and the roadmap is clear: Invest in programs that help communities thrive, like affordable housing, health care and harm reduction.

We will continue to be on Capitol Hill urging lawmakers to say no to Trump's cruel agenda and allocate money in ways that reflect the will of the American people. Take action and tell Congress to fund the essential services our communities urgently need.

Cynthia W. Roseberry is the ACLU's director of policy and government affairs in the Justice Division. Ellen Flenniken is the deputy director of campaigns in the Justice Division. For more than 100 years, the ACLU has worked in courts, legislatures and communities to protect the constitutional rights of all people. With a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters, the ACLU takes on the toughest civil liberties fights in pursuit of liberty and justice for all. To find out more about the ACLU and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com.

Copyright 2025 Creators Syndicate Inc.