More than 7 in 10 U.S. adults remain seriously concerned about immigrants crossing America’s southern border, according to a new Gallup survey.
The polling company reported Friday that 39% called the border situation a “crisis” and 33% described it as a “major problem.” Another 22% viewed it as a “minor problem” and 5% said it is “not a problem.”
The 72% of Americans who see the border as a crisis or major problem is statistically unchanged from the last time Gallup posed the question in 2019.
That year, 39% called the situation a crisis, 35% called it a major problem, 18% saw it as a minor problem and 7% said it was not a problem.
“The stability in the readings masks a shift in partisans’ views, as Democrats’ description of the situation as a crisis fell 20 percentage points to 17%, offsetting increases of 13 points among Republicans and seven points among independents,” Gallup said.
The company conducted the latest survey several weeks after the expiration of Title 42, the Trump-era policy that let U.S. officials rapidly send migrants back over the border without a judicial hearing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The federal declaration of a national COVID-19 emergency expired on May 11.
“Many congressional Democrats pushed to end Title 42 earlier, which President Joe Biden unsuccessfully attempted in 2022, while many Republicans wanted it to become law as a means to deter migrants,” Gallup said. “This difference is reflected in the gap in partisans’ perceptions of the border situation.”
The poll also found that 78% of respondents were “somewhat” or “very” sympathetic toward migrants traveling to the border to enter the country. By comparison, just 64% felt the same about illegal immigrants already living in the U.S.
Gallup conducted a randomized national telephone survey of 1,013 adults on June 1-22. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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