American Immigration Support Hits 10-Year Low

Changing tides: Only 28 percent of Americans are satisfied with current immigration levels, down six points since January 2022 (34 percent) and the lowest reading in a decade of Gallup polling. Opinions on immigration fall along party lines—71 percent of Republicans support decreased immigration, while 36 percent of Independents and 19 percent of Democrats agree. This is up from 40 percent, 2 percent, and 19 percent, respectively, in 2021.

How we got here: In the past two years, migrant crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border hit two-decade highs: 2021 reported 1.7 million attempted border crossings, while 2022 saw over 2 million. As the May expiration date of Title 42, previously used to turn away migrants, approaches, law enforcement has shifted from expulsion to apprehension strategies for border crossers. Amid this change, the Texas Department of Public Safety has seized more than 360 million lethal doses of fentanyl in border states like Texas.

Big picture: Linked to concerns over the current administration’s handling of mass migration and fentanyl trafficking, Americans are less supportive of immigration than they have been in 10 years. While immigration concerns divide along political and generational lines, the amount of Americans dissatisfied with current immigration has overall doubled in the past two years.