Recent polling data reveals a significant change in American attitudes towards immigration, with a growing number of people expressing positive sentiments about its impact on the nation.
Gallup’s latest poll, conducted from June 2-26 with a sample of 1,402 U.S. adults, shows a dramatic decline in the percentage of Americans who wish to see immigration reduced.
In 2024, 55% of respondents favored cutting down on immigration; today, that number stands at just 30%, effectively reversing a trend of increasing anxiety surrounding immigration that had persisted since 2021.
This notable shift reflects changing views across all major political parties and occurs against a backdrop of sharply declining illegal border crossings in the current year.
Simultaneously, there has been a notable increase in the percentage of Americans who believe immigration is beneficial for the country.
A record-high 79% of U.S. adults now regard immigration as a good thing, a significant jump from the 64% recorded just a year ago.
The perception of immigration as a net positive has been climbing among Republicans, independents, and Democrats alike, restoring sentiments to levels not seen since before 2021.
Republicans’ support for immigration has notably rebounded since last year, with a pronounced increase in approval evident within this group.
Among Democrats, the belief that immigration positively contributes to the country has reached 91%, consistent with a long-standing pattern of general support over the past decade.
In light of this shifting landscape, the poll indicates that Americans are increasingly favoring pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants while showing declining support for strict enforcement measures.
The trend towards reducing hard-line policies is underscored by the drop in support for hiring more Border Patrol agents, which has fallen from 76% last year to 59% this year.
Additionally, the approval for expanding the U.S.-Mexico border wall has dipped from 53% to 45%.
These changes suggest that widespread belief in the necessity of such measures has waned, possibly reflecting the decrease in illegal border crossings that many Americans now perceive as a less pressing issue.
Support for deporting all undocumented immigrants has also declined, with only 38% favoring such a hardline approach today compared to 47% in the previous year.
In fact, today’s support for deportation aligns with figures from 2019 and remains higher than initial measurements in 2016.
On the contentious issue of allowing undocumented immigrants to attain U.S. citizenship, the poll indicates a rise in approval, gaining traction from various demographic segments, including Republicans, independents, and Democrats.
Currently, 78% of Americans support pathways to citizenship for this group, an increase from 70% last year and nearing 2019 levels of 81%.
Support for granting citizenship to those who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children remains particularly robust, with over 80% in favor.
The latest data also indicates that public discontent regarding President Donald Trump’s handling of immigration continues unabated.
A significant 62% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s immigration policies, while only 35% express approval, including just 21% who strongly approve.
Approval ratings among Hispanic Americans reveal a stark discrepancy, with just 21% approving of Trump’s immigration management, considerably lower than the overall national average of 35%.
Partisan divides are clear within these assessments: 85% of Republicans approve of Trump’s handling, yet just 28% of independents and a mere 2% of Democrats share that sentiment.
This partisan divide is further emphasized by stark differences in strong approval versus strong disapproval ratings, with 81% of Democrats expressing strong disapproval and 59% of Republicans indicating strong approval.
The views of Hispanic Americans on immigration offer important insights into the evolving landscape of public opinion on this contentious topic.
While support for increasing the number of border agents is notably lower among Hispanic adults compared to the general population, there remains a strong inclination towards allowing undocumented immigrants pathways to citizenship, with an encouraging 91% supporting this measure.
Additionally, though there is a slight inclination among Hispanic Americans to view immigration negatively—39% believe it should be reduced, as opposed to 30% nationally—these sentiments still highlight an overall pro-immigration stance within this group.
The overall findings suggest that heightened concerns about immigration that emerged during the Biden administration have largely dissipated, largely due to perceived improvements in border security.
As public opinion sees a shift toward favoring immigration, support for strict enforcement measures has markedly declined, particularly among Democrats and independents.
In summary, these recent trends indicate a comprehensive transformation in American attitudes toward immigration and underscore a growing acceptance of more humane and supportive policies aimed at facilitating the integration of undocumented immigrants into society.
Americans appear to be moving beyond previous anxieties, welcoming the notion of immigration as a vital aspect of the nation’s fabric, and advocating for policy paths that honor the contributions of immigrants to the country.
For further insights and ongoing updates, follow @Gallup on X and Instagram.
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