A record-high number of Americans perceive large numbers of illegal immigrants entering the U.S. as a “critical threat” to U.S. interests, as indicated by a new poll published on Tuesday.
According to the Gallup poll, 55% of U.S. adults consider “large numbers of immigrants entering the United States illegally” to be a “critical threat” to U.S. vital interests. This marks an 8% increase from 2023 and surpasses the previous high of 50% in 2004.
Among those surveyed, 31% stated that large numbers of immigrants entering illegally represent an “important” threat, while 14% indicated that it was not important.
The nation is currently experiencing the third year of a historic border crisis. Last fiscal year, the record for yearly encounters at the southern border was broken, with more than 2.4 million migrants encountered.
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Additionally, the monthly record for encounters was set in December, with over 300,000 encounters recorded for the first time. In the poll, 28% of Americans identified immigration as the most important problem facing the U.S., a notable increase from January when the figure was 20%.
This polling underscores immigration as the most frequently cited problem, surpassing the government (20%), the economy (12%), and inflation (11%).
The 28% essentially ties the 27% recorded in July 2019 as the highest since Gallup began polling mentions of immigration in 1981. The poll was conducted between Feb. 1 and Feb. 20, based on a sample of 1,016 adults via telephone interviews.
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It comes as immigration remains in the spotlight due to a debate in Congress over a supplemental border funding bill, which stalled amid opposition from Republicans and some Democrats, and the continued impact the migrant crisis is having on cities and states across the country.
Republicans have attributed the crisis to the policies of the administration, citing the rollback of Trump-era policies such as border wall construction and the Remain in Mexico policy.
Conversely, the administration and Democrats have placed blame on Republicans for not approving funding and a comprehensive immigration reform bill to address the shortcomings of the system.
The Senate bill aimed to bolster border personnel, allocate additional funding, and impose certain restrictions on migrant releases into the U.S. However, conservatives cautioned that it could normalize an already elevated level of illegal immigration.
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The polling emerges just days after revelations that the suspect charged in connection with the murder of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley is an illegal immigrant originally from Venezuela.
Meanwhile, as Congress grapples with finding legislation it can pass and send to the president’s desk, Gallup reports that its approval rating has dropped to 12%. This is only a few points higher than the all-time low of 9% recorded in November 2023.
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