For the first time, a majority of Americans support building border walls to reduce migratory flows to the country, a new survey by Gallup shows. The figure comes as part of a sharp increase in the amount of people who prefer less immigration than more, and broader measures to that purpose.
Significantly expanding the construction of a border wall is the measure that saw the largest increase in support since 2019, even if it's not the most favored one at the moment. Concretely, it saw an increase of 13 percentage points, going from 40% to 53% in the latest edition of the poll.
Preferences predictably vary depending on respondents' political affiliation, with many more Republicans supporting such a measure over Democrats and independents being in the middle. Over 9 in 10 Republicans favor expanding construction of walls, compared to 51% of independents and 17% of Democrats. The pollster noted the large increase in independent's support for a wall, going from 34% in 2019 to more than half at the moment.
Most Republicans (84%) also support deporting all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally (over 10 million according to the latest estimates), compared to 41% of independents and 22% of Democrats.
Gallup highlighted that the amount of Republicans favoring such a measure has increased significantly over the past five years, going from 63% to 84% currently. Former President and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump has been echoed such an idea, promising to carry the "largest deportation operation in American history" should he be elected in the November elections.
Fewer Republicans now support allowing immigrants living in the country illegally to become citizens, the figure dropping from 70% to 46%.
There is more consensus on other measures, as majorities of all three groups support three policies: "hiring more border patrol agents, allowing the executive branch to suspend asylum claims when the border is overwhelmed, and allowing immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children the chance to stay and become citizens."
Allowing immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally to become citizens still enjoys broad support, with 70% of respondents favoring the measure, but it has seen a drop of 11 percentage points in the past five years.
More than four in five Americans (81%) also support allowing immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children (known as dreamers) the chance to become U.S. citizens if they meet certain requirements over a period of time. The measure, the most popular in five options given, has seen a slight, two percentage point drop over the past six years.
Despite broader support for the mentioned measures, most Americans still describe immigration as a good thing for the country. "Currently, 64% evaluate immigration positively and 32% negatively. The share with a positive view is down from the high of 77% in 2020 but remains above the low point of 52% in 2002, the first measurement after the 9/11 terrorist attacks," according to Gallup.
The drop is mostly explained by Republicans' souring on immigration, considering it has dropped 23 percentage points to 39%. "This is even lower than the 47% measured for Republicans after 9/11, when Americans overall had the least-positive views of immigration." "The 47-point difference between Democratic and Republican opinions of immigration this year is the largest in Gallup's trend," it concluded.
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