by Bill Wilson
A striking new NPR / Marist poll reveals swing voters who supported Joe Biden by wide margins in 2020 are retracting their votes, and the unsustainable crisis on the southern border is at the heart of this collapse in support.
The tide has turned on immigration politics in four short years, and a majority of Americans now see the border crisis as an issue that needs to be solved swiftly. The NPR poll reveals a majority of Americans have adopted a harsh deportation mindset, with the nation saying 51 percent to 48 percent that all illegals should be deported. This is a radical change in sentiment from just a few years ago, and speaks to voters’ growing distrust of an Open Borders agenda that imports cheap foreign labor at the expense of American citizens.
There are unsurprisingly broad partisan differences between those who adopt this hard-liner response to the immigration crisis and those who still claim illegal immigrants are a boon for the economy, but key groups of voters who supported Biden in 2020 agree that illegals must go. In fact, majorities of Gen Z and Millennial voters – groups which used to hold strong pro-immigrant views – as well as a plurality of independents and even Latinos say all illegal immigrants need to be deported.
A majority of Hispanics – 52 percent – and a majority of young voters – 52 percent – say all immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally should be deported according to the new poll. In addition, a majority of both independent men and women agree, with 58 percent of men and 53 percent of women concurring that all illegals should be deported.
Polling from the Economist / YouGov finds that immigration is the second most important issue to Americans after the economy, and Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of immigration by a margin of two to one. In fact, Americans give Biden worse marks on his handling of the immigration crisis than they do on his handling of the economy.
Americans say 63 percent to 28 percent they disapprove of Biden’s handling of the immigration crisis – a 35-point-margin – while voters disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy by a thirteen point-margin according to the poll.
Latinos disapprove of Biden’s handling of the immigration crisis at close to the same level as whites do, with 66 percent of Latinos and 67 percent of whites signaling their disapproval with Biden’s border crisis. Latinos disapprove of Biden’s handling of the border by an abysmal 43 percentage points – 66 percent to just 23 percent.
Young people disapprove of Biden’s handling of immigration by a 33-point margin, and independents disapprove by a 47-point-margin according to the poll.
These views are in-line with YouGov / CBS News polling from January which showed most Americans say the border issue is very serious, and nearly half say the border is in crisis. That poll also found dwindling support for allowing illegals to remain in the U.S., with a majority of Americans (57 percent) saying asylum seekers should either remain in Mexico and wait for a hearing or be deported permanently.
Voters in the January poll also held a distinctly negative view of immigration’s long-term impact on the country, with the public saying 48% to 22% that the influx of migrants will make society worse in the long term.
The globalist approach to immigration policy which relies on importing cheap foreign labor and using identity politics to buy votes is crashing down under the harsh reality of Biden’s border chaos. Pro-asylum seeker groups who originally supported the left’s Open Borders agenda are recognizing the economic and social consequences of a nation without law and order and demanding a harsh correction.
Young people, independents, and most notably Latinos are demanding immigration reform that puts the needs of American citizens first. The globalist left’s catastrophic economic policies are a key contributor to Biden’s plummeting support, but rampant illegal immigration and cheap foreign labor further destroy our economy. The left is on the wrong side of history with their reckless Open Borders agenda that puts citizens last, and Americans are waking up and demanding a course correction before it is too late.
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Bill Wilson is the former president of Americans for Limited Government.
Photo “Illegal Immigrants” by John R. Modlin.
