What do citizens have to say about the ongoing, long-lasting crisis of mass immigration? Half of them believe that a surplus of migrants and refugees entering the country pose “a critical threat” to the United States.
According to a new poll conducted between June 21 and July 1, most Americans are worried about the consequences which could stem from allowing huge amounts of people into the country. This year’s Chicago Council Survey also highlights the highest rates of Republican opposition to liberal policies related to immigration.
The poll results show that 50% of Americans—regardless of political party affiliation—describe “the prospect” of massive migration as “a critical threat” to the United States. The high percentage of opposition to this approach marks its highest point in the group’s polling since 2010. This year’s report noted that “concerns have grown” about this issue over the past decade, including greater scrutiny from Independents and Democrats.
However, Republicans remain the most critical of liberal immigration policies, reaching 83% of GOP citizens who believe high numbers of migrants entering the country are “a critical threat.” As it relates to this political party, the disapproval rating is the highest it’s been since the Chicago Council Survey first posed the question to citizens in 1998.
When it comes to the positive impact of immigrants coming into America, the poll suggests that 61% of citizens “believe” they have a “mainly positive impact” on the country. The same percentage of Republicans say the opposite, and half of them further believe that the threshold for legal immigration should be lowered.
Additionally, 62% of Americans are in favor of citizenship paths for illegal migrants to be opened. Options to include waiting periods and fines are supported at higher rates than those who believe none of these stipulations should be in place.
The survey overlapped with the release of another poll last month which found substantial support for controversial policies promised by former president and GOP nominee Donald Trump. According to that poll, 62% of Americans are in favor of Trump’s plans to initiate the “largest deportation operation” that the United States has ever seen.
Both surveys come amid the highly contentious campaign season, which is preparing for a heated Election Day between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Trump. The two candidates have not neglected the commonplace practice of belittling one another while they strive to win the White House.
In recent campaign videos, Harris criticized Trump for blocking a bipartisan border bill and upheld herself as a champion for the piece of legislation. The video was a response to a clip from the Trump campaign, which described Harris as “America’s border czar” who is “weak,” “dangerously liberal,” and who has “failed” when it comes to border security.
