Quick Hit:

A new Gallup poll reveals that for the first time since 2005, a majority of Americans want to see immigration levels reduced.

Key Details:

• 55% of Americans support reducing immigration, up from 41% last year.
• 25% of respondents believe immigration levels should remain the same, while 16% think they should increase.
• The sentiment for reduced immigration spans across political affiliations, with significant increases among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.

Diving Deeper:

A recent Gallup poll conducted from June 3 to 23 shows a significant shift in American public opinion on immigration. For the first time since 2005, a majority of Americans, 55%, believe that immigration levels should be decreased. This marks a notable increase from the previous year, where only 41% held this view.

The poll indicates that the desire for reduced immigration spans across all political affiliations. Among Democrats, support for decreased immigration rose from 18% to 28%. Among Republicans, it increased from 73% to 88%, and among Independents, it went from 39% to 50%. This broad-based increase suggests growing concerns about immigration across the political spectrum.

Additionally, the poll highlighted that while 25% of Americans think immigration levels should remain unchanged, only 16% believe they should increase. This is the lowest level of support for increased immigration since 2009. Despite these concerns, a majority of Americans still view immigration positively, though this sentiment has slightly decreased from 68% last year to 64% this year.

The Gallup poll also noted that 70% of Americans support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, although this is down from 81% in 2019. Support for "Dreamers" remains high at 81%.

This shift in public opinion comes amid ongoing debates about border security and immigration policies under President Joe Biden's administration, which has faced criticism for its handling of the southern border crisis.

The poll results reflect a critical issue that may influence the upcoming elections, with immigration and border security likely to remain top priorities for many voters.