Gallup Poll: Americans Increasingly Favor Reduced Immigration

In a significant shift, 55% of Americans now favor reducing immigration levels, the highest percentage since 2001, according to a recent Gallup poll conducted in June.

This marks a significant increase from last year's 41%, reflecting growing concerns about immigration amid record-high illegal border crossings and ongoing political debates.

The poll reveals a 10-percentage-point decrease in Americans who favor increasing immigration, now at 16%, and a 6 point drop in those preferring current levels, now at 25%. The change in attitudes aligns with a heightened focus on immigration as one of the nation's top issues, with 42% labeling the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border as a crisis and 35% viewing it as a major problem.

Historical data from Gallup, which has tracked American views on immigration since 1965, shows that this current sentiment is reminiscent of attitudes in the early to mid-1990s and the post-9/11 period. Previously, majorities favored reduced immigration during significant periods such as California's immigration struggles in the 1990s and following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Partisan differences are evident, with 88% of Republicans, 50% of independents, and 28% of Democrats now favoring decreased immigration. Despite these divisions, majorities across all groups support several restrictive immigration policies. For instance, 76% endorse hiring more border patrol agents, 63% support temporary asylum prohibitions, and 53% favor expanding border walls — a first-time majority for this policy.

Support for allowing immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally to become citizens has decreased from 81% in 2019 to 70% today. However, 81% of Americans still favor granting citizenship to those brought illegally as children, known as "Dreamers."

Since 2019, the percentage of Republicans supporting the deportation of all undocumented immigrants has surged by 21 points to 84%, while their support for a path to citizenship for these immigrants has dropped 24 points to 46%. Independents have shown a 17 point increase in favor of expanding border walls, now at 51%.

Overall, Americans' views on immigration remain divided, with 64% seeing it as a positive aspect for the country, down from a high of 77% in 2020. The decline is primarily driven by Republicans, with only 39% currently viewing immigration positively, the lowest recorded for the party. Democrats' views remain stable, with 86% perceiving immigration as beneficial.

Immigration is poised to be a crucial issue in upcoming elections, with 25% of voters saying a candidate must align with their views on immigration to secure their vote. This sentiment is particularly strong among those favoring reduced immigration, underscoring the potential impact of this issue on voter behavior and candidate evaluations.