Americans’ views on immigration are shifting rightward as the crisis at the border drags on, according to one new poll.
Of those polled, 50% of Americans consider the ongoing situation at the border — where illegal crossings and unaccompanied minor detentions are surging — to be a “crisis,” according to Politico/Morning Consult. Officials in the Biden administration have been reluctant to classify the situation as a “crisis,” instead calling it a “circumstance” or a “challenge.”
Other findings of the poll suggest a growing concern with Democrats’ handling of the border. Only 43% of Americans said they trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle the issue of immigration, down from 46% in Politico/Morning Consult’s poll from February.
When asked how America’s immigration system has changed so far under President Joe Biden, 40% of Americans said things have gotten worse, compared to only 23% who said things have improved. (RELATED: Biden Admin To Allow One TV Camera Into Child Migrant Holding Facility In Texas)
Concerns about immigration have risen across the board, regardless of ideology or party registration. The portion of Americans who consider passing an immigration reform bill to be a “top priority” for Congress rose from 31% to 39% between February and March. In addition to the 50% of Americans who said the current state of the border is a “crisis,” an additional 34% said America was “facing a problem” with illegal immigration at the Mexican border, with only 9% saying there is no crisis or problem.
Support for amnesty for illegal immigrants has also dropped by a substantial margin. In February, 60% of Americans said they support an 8-year path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States. In March, only 43% of Americans said illegal immigrants currently living in America should be able to stay and become citizens “if they meet certain requirements.” (RELATED: HHS Asks Pentagon For Permission To House Unaccompanied Minors At Military Facilities)
Biden Team Ignored Warnings From Career Immigration Officials That Their Actions Could Cause A Border Crisis https://t.co/aZ94mfLoo6
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 24, 2021
Democrats in Congress have passed two immigration bills through the House that would provide a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers,” children who were brought to the U.S. illegally, and legal status for farm workers. Meanwhile, the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border has surged so high that the Biden administration has been forced to find overflow facilities to house them, including hotels and convention centers.
