Most Americans oppose deporting migrants who have not been convicted of crimes or without due process, according to a new survey.

The YouGov survey found 60 percent of respondents said they did not support “deporting immigrants without criminal convictions to El Salvador to be imprisoned, without letting them challenge the deportation in court”.

The figure included 46 percent who “strongly” opposed such deportations.

The findings come after the US Government that it accidentally deported someone protected from removal, sending the man to the Salvadoran prison where they said they could not secure his return.

Despite this incident, and widespread criticism, the Trump administration is defending its deportation program.

The survey found 26 per cent of respondents said they were in favour of deportations, and another 13 percent were unsure.

The Trump administration has recently used the war-time Alien Enemies Act and immigration authorities to send hundreds of migrants it has alleged are gang members to a Salvadoran prison.

But critics have called for independent oversight, with civil liberties campaigners warning the administration is rushing to deport individuals without offering full evidence to support allegations of gang affiliation.

Meanwhile, 51 percent of respondents in the YouGov survey also said they did not back “deporting international students who participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests,” while 31 percent said they did support such a move.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that at least 300 foreign students had their visas revoked amid the crackdown on foreign students who protested against Israel amid its war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

A separate survey by the Washington-based think tank the Pew Research Centre found that relatively few Americans support deporting immigrants if they have a job (15 percent), are parents of children born in the US (14 percent), came to the US as children (9 percent) or are married to a US citizen (5 percent).

But about half of US adults (51 percent) say some immigrants living in the country illegally should be deported, compared with 32 per cent who say all should be deported. Sixteen per cent say none should be deported.

“Nearly all Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (96 percent) say at least some immigrants living in the country illegally should be deported, compared with 71 per cent of Democrats and Democratic leaners,” the Pew report said.

A larger share of Republicans (54 percent) than Democrats (10 percent) say all immigrants in the country illegally should be deported, the report said.

Most Americans (56 percent) of US adults disapprove of the Trump administration’s executive order to remove birthright citizenship, while 43 per cent approve, the Pew survey found.

“Most Democrats disapprove of the order, while most Republicans approve of it. Yet Democratic disapproval is more widespread and more intense than Republican approval,” the report said.

Eight-four percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents disapprove of the order, including 68 percent, who strongly disapprove.

Among Republicans and Republican leaners 72 percent approve of the executive order, including 42 percent who strongly approve, the survey found.

Meanwhile, about one-in-five US adults (19 per cent) say they worry a lot or some that they, a family member or a friend could be deported.

One-in-three immigrants in the country worry they or someone close to them could be deported. By comparison, just 16 per cent of US-born adults share this worry, the Pew survey found.