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 (DOGE) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) 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 week, ACLU leaders from our national office and 10 state affiliates will convene in Washington, D.C. for our second annual Community Safety Week where they will stand up to 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’ll be calling 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 percent who say they are concerned about presidential abuse of power. Only five percent 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 healthcare, 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.
Read the full article from the ACLU here