WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Significantly more U.S. adults than a year ago, 55% versus 41%, would like to see immigration to the U.S. decreased. This is the first time since 2005 that a majority of Americans have wanted there to be less immigration, and today’s figure is the largest percentage holding that view since a 58% reading in 2001. The record high was 65%, recorded in 1993 and 1995.
Most of the rise in resistance to immigration in the June 3-23 poll is offset by a 10-percentage-point decline in those saying they want increased immigration, now at 16%. There has also been a decline in those wanting to see immigration kept at its present level, down six points to 25%.
The shifts in attitudes have come after monthly illegal border crossings reached record levels late last year. They have dropped significantly since then, but remain above most monthly pre-pandemic totals. Â鶹´«Ã½AV’s monthly measure of the most important problem facing the country finds immigration consistently ranking among the top issues this year. Also, in the latest survey, 42% describe the situation at the U.S. border with Mexico as a crisis and 35% a major problem, although those figures are little changed from prior readings in 2019 and 2023.
Â鶹´«Ã½AV has asked Americans about their preferred immigration levels since 1965. On average over that time period, 42% of Americans have favored reduced immigration, 35% preferred keeping the status quo, and 18% wanted increased immigration. Majorities previously favored reduced immigration in the early to mid-1990s, when California was struggling to deal with an influx of immigrants; in the year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; and in December 2005, after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at border enforcement (which ultimately did not become law).
Americans’ attitudes on immigration have changed greatly during the past four years. In 2020 and 2021, nearly as many wanted to see increased immigration (34%) as to keep the status quo (36%), with fewer favoring decreases (30%).
All Party Groups Show a Greater Preference for Immigration Cutbacks
Although the desire for decreased immigration varies widely by party, all three groups are significantly more likely than a year ago to favor less immigration. This includes a 15-point increase among Republicans (to 88%), an 11-point increase among independents (to 50%) and a 10-point increase among Democrats (to 28%).
Republicans and independents are much more likely to say immigration should be reduced rather than increased or kept at its present level. Democrats are now most likely to prefer keeping immigration levels where they are, but last year they were about equally likely to favor keeping the status quo or increasing immigration.
Public Favors Variety of Policies to Address Immigration
The new poll shows Americans favoring several proposals that would attempt to restrict immigration, but they also favor policies that would allow some immigrants in the U.S. illegally to remain.
- Seventy-six percent are in favor of the U.S. hiring significantly more border patrol agents, and 63% favor allowing the president and the secretary of Homeland Security to temporarily prohibit individuals from seeking asylum when the U.S. Southwest border is overwhelmed.
- A slim majority of 53% favors expanding the construction of walls along the U.S. border, the first time a majority has been in favor of that policy.
- Americans split on a policy to deport all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally back to their home countries.
- Notwithstanding their attitudes on deportation, 70% of U.S. adults favor allowing immigrants who entered the country illegally a chance to become U.S. citizens if they meet certain requirements over a period of time. Support is even higher -- 81% -- for a similar policy for those brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
Â鶹´«Ã½AV measured public support for most of these immigration policies in 2018 or 2019, and finds support for the restrictive measures has risen since then. This includes a 13-point increase for expanding border walls (to 53%) and a 10-point increase for deporting all immigrants in the U.S. illegally (47%).
In contrast, support for allowing immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally to become citizens has fallen from 81% in 2019 to 70% today. There has been no change in opinions on hiring more border patrol agents since 2019 and allowing those brought to the U.S. illegally as children an opportunity to become citizens since 2018.
This is the first time Â鶹´«Ã½AV has asked about a temporary pause on asylum applications, a step the Biden administration has recently taken and that was part of a bipartisan immigration bill that recently failed to pass in the U.S. Senate.
Republicans Favor More Restrictive Immigration Policies
Consistent with their preferences for U.S. immigration levels, Republicans and Democrats have divergent views on immigration policies. Of the six policies tested in the survey, Republicans are most likely to favor hiring more agents and expanding the construction of border walls, while Democrats show the highest support for allowing children brought to the U.S. illegally, known as “dreamers,” the chance to stay in the U.S.
Republicans are alone in giving majority support for deporting all people in the U.S. illegally, and in expressing less-than-majority support for allowing those in the U.S. illegally the chance to become citizens. Republicans are joined by a slim majority of independents in favoring construction of more border walls, something only 17% of Democrats favor.
Majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents support three policies: hiring more border patrol agents, allowing the executive branch to suspend asylum claims when the border is overwhelmed, and allowing immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children the chance to stay and become citizens.
On all six policy proposals, Republicans’ and Democrats’ levels of support differ by at least 18 points. The largest gaps are on expanding border walls (74 points), deporting all immigrants in the U.S. illegally (62 points) and allowing those in the U.S. illegally the chance to become citizens (41 points).
Party groups’ opinions of the following policies have changed significantly since 2019:
- The percentage of Republicans in favor of deporting all immigrants in the U.S. illegally has increased by 21 points, from 63% in 2019 to 84% today.
- At the same time, there has been a 24-point drop in Republican support for allowing immigrants in the U.S. illegally the chance to become citizens, from 70% to 46%.
- There has been a 17-point increase in independents’ support for significantly expanding the construction of walls along the U.S.-Mexico border, from 34% to 51%.
Americans, but Not Republicans, Retain Positive Opinions About Immigration
Majorities of Americans have consistently described immigration as being a good rather than a bad thing for the country. Currently, 64% evaluate immigration positively and 32% negatively. The share with a positive view is down from the high of 77% in 2020 but remains above the low point of 52% in 2002, the first measurement after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Less-positive views of immigration in the past four years have been driven largely by Republicans. Since 2020, the percentage of Republicans who say immigration is a good thing has dropped 23 points to 39%, a new low for Republicans. This is even lower than the 47% measured for Republicans after 9/11, when Americans overall had the least-positive views of immigration.
Independents show a smaller drop of 12 points since 2020, with 66% now describing immigration as a good thing. Democrats’ views of immigration have not changed meaningfully; currently, 86% have a positive view.
The 47-point difference between Democratic and Republican opinions of immigration this year is the largest in Â鶹´«Ã½AV’s trend.
Immigration Taking on Slightly Greater Importance as Election Issue
Twenty-five percent of U.S. registered voters say a candidate must share their views on immigration in order to secure their vote. That is up slightly from 20% in 2015, the last time Â鶹´«Ã½AV asked the question. Another 56% say immigration will be one of many important factors they take into account when voting this year, and 16% say it is not a major issue.
Republican registered voters are much more likely than Democratic and independent voters to say a candidate must share their views. Voters who prefer that immigration levels be decreased say the issue is more important to their vote than those who want levels kept the same or increased.
The 25% of registered voters who say a candidate must share their views on immigration include 11% who want levels decreased, 8% who want them increased and 6% who want them kept at their present level.
Bottom Line
Immigration has been a greater concern for Americans, particularly Republicans, this year, after the record number of illegal border crossings last year. For the first time in nearly two decades, a majority of Americans want immigration levels to the U.S. reduced rather than kept at their present level or increased.
The issue could be a key factor in the fall elections. About one in four voters say they will vote only for candidates who share their position on the issue, though more say abortion will be a key voting issue for them than say this about immigration. But immigration, especially given its prominence on Americans’ list of the most important problems facing the country, could also influence voters’ evaluations of incumbent politicians running for reelection, particularly President Joe Biden, based on how well people think they are handling the issue.
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