Amid heightened public scrutiny over illegal immigration, 84% of Americans say it's a serious problem, according to a new Monmouth University poll.
The survey found that 61% say illegal immigration is a very serious problem, while 23% say it's a somewhat serious problem.
Public concern about illegal immigration is higher during President Joe Biden's term than it was under the previous two administrations, according to the poll.
The 6 in 10 who describe illegal immigration as a very serious problem represent a jump from surveys conducted at the end of former President Barack Obama's administration and the midpoint of former President Donald Trump's administration.
Between 2015 and 2019, the view of illegal immigration as a very serious problem for the country ranged from 43% to 49%.
According to the poll, concern about illegal immigration has spiked among all age groups.
"Illegal immigration has taken center stage as a defining issue this presidential election year," Patrick Murray, director of Monmouth University Polling Institute said. "Other Monmouth polling found this to be Biden's weakest policy area, including among his fellow Democrats."
The survey found the level of concern among Democrats has risen to 41%, up from 26% in 2019 and 33% in 2015. Among independent voters, 58% say illegal immigration is a very serious problem, which has climbed from 43% in 2019 and 42% in 2015. In the current survey, 91% of Republicans say illegal immigration is very serious — a jump from 77% in 2019 and 66% in 2015.
A slight 53% majority of the American public now supports building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, compared to 46% who oppose the project. Support for a border wall registered no higher than 44% during the Trump administration and sank as low as 35%, according to the polling institute. Support was at 48% the first time Monmouth asked the border wall question in 2015.
Almost half of Americans — 47% — say the recently negotiated Senate border bill is not tough enough on illegal immigration, while 28% say it is about right, and 12% say it goes too far. More than three-quarters — 77% — of Republicans and 48% of independents say the bill does not crack down enough on illegal immigration, while 51% of Democrats say it is about right.
"These results illustrate why the border deal was dead on arrival," Murray said. "The vast majority of rank-and-file Republicans and many independents believe it is too soft on illegal immigration, even if they don't know exactly what's in the legislation. Senate GOP leadership could have tried to sell the bill, but that would have almost certainly been fruitless once Donald Trump weighed in against it."
The poll was conducted Feb. 8-12 and surveyed 902 adults in the United States. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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