Samuel Case, FISM News
Americans are increasingly concerned about immigration levels, with a growing number wanting less immigration, according to a new Gallup poll.
The survey, conducted from Jan. 2 to Jan. 22, shows 63% of Americans are dissatisfied with immigration in the United States. Among those who are dissatisfied, 40% want immigration decreased, 15% want the level to stay the same or are unsure, and 8% want it to increase.
“The percentage who are dissatisfied out of a desire for less immigration has risen sharply over the past two years, increasing from 19% in 2021 to 35% in 2022 and 40% today,” Gallup reports.
“This is still not as high as it was in the first few years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when it ranged from 44% to 52%, but is the highest since 2016.”
Only 28% say they are satisfied with American immigration, a 6% decrease from the year before and the lowest satisfaction rating in a decade.
According to Gallup, “U.S. public satisfaction with immigration was scarcest in 2007 and 2008, at 23% and 24%, respectively, whereas it reached 40%-41% at its highest, in 2017 and 2018.”
The report also showed that the desire to curb immigration is up across political parties, but is most prominent among Republicans.
The percentage of Republicans who want less immigration sits at 71%, a dramatic increase from 40% in 2021 and 69% in 2022.
Only 19% of Democrats say they want immigration curbed, but the number reflects a growing dissatisfaction in the party. For comparison, only 2% of Democrats wanted less immigration in 2021, which then grew to 11% last year.
The number of Independents who desire less immigration has doubled in the last two years, sitting at 36% today, compared to 19% in 2021.
Gallup directly linked the growing dissatisfaction with American immigration to the ongoing crisis at the southern border.
“Amid news of the migrant surge along the border with Mexico and the humanitarian and political problems arising from it, Americans across the political spectrum have grown less content with the level of U.S. immigration in recent years,” the report concluded, while noting the issue remains “highly partisan.”