A new poll is set to make grim reading for President Joe Biden after it revealed that voters are increasingly dissatisfied with his administration’s bid to tackle illegal immigration.
The contentious subject has proved divisive as politicians across the political spectrum argue about the best way to deal with skyrocketing migrant numbers as caravans of people flow across Mexico’s border with the U.S. in Texas.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott in 2022 vowed to bus migrants to Washington, D.C., so the administration could deal with them. And although Biden insists he’s on top of the problem, Republican governors began taking the issue into their own hands by sending troops to Texas last month, sparking fears of a U.S. “civil war.”
Debate about illegal immigration comes as Biden campaigns for another term in office amid a battle with Republican front-runner and former President Donald Trump. Another Republican presidential rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, also attacked Biden’s record on immigration.
Jim WATSON / AFP
Redfield & Wilton Strategies, which conducted the survey on behalf of Newsweek, have been asking voters the same series of questions at regular intervals and will continue to do so throughout the presidential race. The answers provide a snapshot of the changing views of the electorate as they react to topical issues and the response of the campaigns.
Some 50 percent were not happy with the government’s handling of the illegal immigration issue when polled in November, but just three months later, on February 10, that number has now shot up to 59 percent—24 percent said they were dissatisfied and 35 percent said they were very dissatisfied.
By contrast, just 17 percent said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the “government’s current approach to illegal immigration.” The remaining respondents said they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied or did not know what their opinion was.
On November 4, when the same question was asked, 50 percent were dissatisfied to varying degrees, while 19 percent were satisfied to some extent. That means active support for the Biden administration on the issue dropped by 2 percentage points at the same time dissatisfaction rose by 9.
Similarly, the amount of people who feel that the U.S. doesn’t have control of its borders jumped from 62 percent in November to 68 percent. While voters who believe the U.S. does have control fell from 26 percent in November to 22 percent.
When asked whether the government “should adopt a more hardline approach towards illegal immigration,” 70 percent either agree or strongly agree. That number was 63 percent on November 4. A total of 10 percent disagreed (in varying degrees) that the government needed to be more “hardline” in the latest poll, while 13 percent disagreed in November.
About 1,500 voters were surveyed by the pollsters. Respondents were recorded as being male or female, and have various ethnicities and education levels. Their ages range from 18 to 59+, meaning that Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X and Boomers are all represented.
Newsweek reached out by email to the White House seeking comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.