When asked about policies that might address the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, several are seen by large shares of the public as ways to improve the situation:

Half or more say increasing the number of judges to process asylum applications (60%), creating more opportunities for people to legally immigrate (56%), and increasing deportations of people who are in the country illegally (52%) would make the situation better. Fewer than two-in-ten Americans say any of these proposals would make the situation worse.

The public is less likely to say various other immigration proposals would make the situation better. But by wide margins, Americans think several are more likely to improve than worsen the situation at the border:

• 47% of Americans say making it easier for asylum seekers to work legally while they wait for a decision about their applications would make the situation better. Just 22% say this would make things worse.
• 45% say putting more severe penalties on businesses if they hire people who are not legally allowed to work in the U.S. would lead to an improvement. Only 19% say it would worsen the situation.

Public views are more mixed about the remaining four policy proposals included in the survey:

• When it comes to substantially expanding the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, 41% say it would make things better, but 32% say it would not make a difference either way. A smaller share of adults (14%) say it would make things worse, and 12% are not sure.
• 38% of Americans say making it harder for asylum seekers to be granted temporary legal status would make the situation better, but 28% say this proposal would make things worse. Nearly two-in-ten say they aren’t sure what impact this would have on immigration, while 15% say it wouldn’t change things.
• 36% say making sure that asylum seekers have safe and sanitary conditions when they arrive to the U.S. would make the situation better, while 27% say it would make things worse. Two-in-ten say it would not make much difference.
• A 35% plurality of adults say that increasing economic aid to Central American countries would not have much of an impact on the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. About a quarter (27%) say it would make things better, while 18% say it would make things worse.

Republican and Democratic views of immigration policy proposals

While there are a few immigration proposals where sizable shares of Republicans and Democrats see potential for improving the border situation, on most policies, there are wide partisan gaps.

Policies to address asylum seekers and the immediate situation at the border

Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are more likely than Republicans and GOP leaners to say that increasing various resources at the border would make the immediate situation better. However, some of the partisan differences on these policies are wider than others.

Additional immigration judges

For example, three-quarters of Democrats say that increasing the number of judges and staff to process asylum applications would improve the situation at the border.

Republicans are less positive about the potential impact of more judges. Still, 47% say this would make things better, and just 18% say it would worsen the situation.

Resources to provide safe and sanitary conditions for migrants

When it comes to increasing resources to provide safe and sanitary conditions for migrants arriving at the border, a majority of Democrats (56%) say this would make things better.

But Republicans are more than twice as likely to say it would make things worse as they are to say it would improve things (43% vs. 17%).

Temporary legal status and work eligibility for asylum seekers

Partisans take different positions on policies aimed at easing or restricting the ability of migrants to get temporary legal status, including work eligibility, while they wait for the next steps in their asylum applications.

For example, about two-thirds of Democrats say that making it easier for asylum seekers to work legally while they wait for a decision on their applications would improve the border situation. Just three-in-ten Republicans say the same. Slightly more Republicans instead say this policy would make things worse (37%).

The pattern is reversed for a policy that would make it harder for asylum seekers to be granted temporary legal status before their asylum hearing. A 56% majority of Republicans say this would make things better, while just 23% of Democrats agree. Democrats are far more likely to say this would make the border situation worse (40%).

Proposals to deport those in the U.S. illegally, expand the border wall

Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say that increasing deportations and substantially expanding the wall along the U.S. border with Mexico would improve the situation.

Deportations

Nearly eight-in-ten Republicans (77%) say that increasing deportations of people who are in the country illegally would make the situation at the border better. Just 6% say that it would make things worse and 9% say it would not make much difference.

Democrats are far more divided on this proposal: 30% say increasing deportations would make things better, while a nearly identical share (28%) say it would make things worse. About a quarter (23%) say it would not make much difference, while 19% say they aren’t sure what impact it would have.

Border wall

There is a similar pattern in views of expanding the border wall. Nearly three-quarters of Republicans say expanding the wall would make the situation at the border better.  

In contrast, just 15% of Democrats say expanding the wall would improve the situation. About half (47%) say it would not have much of an impact, while about a quarter say it would make things worse (24%). 

Proposals to address economic drivers of migration

Opinions are mixed when it comes to two policy proposals that aim to address potential economic drivers of immigration to the United States.

Severe penalties on businesses for hiring people who do not have legal work status

About six-in-ten Republicans (63%) say that putting penalties on businesses for hiring people who are not eligible to work in the U.S. would make the immigration situation better.

But Democrats are divided on this policy. They are about as likely to say severe business penalties would make things better (30%) as they are to say this would make things worse (27%). Another 24% say this proposal would not make much difference, and 18% say they are not sure.

More economic aid to countries migrants are coming from

But Republicans are far less likely than Democrats to say that increasing economic aid to Central American countries – where many migrants come from – would make the situation better.

Just 14% of Republicans say this would improve the situation, while 26% say it would make it worse. And 45% say that increased foreign aid would not make much difference either way.

By a margin of about 3-1, Democrats say this policy would make things better: 40% say it would improve the situation, while 12% say it would make things worse. About a quarter (26%) say it would not make a difference, and nearly as many (22%) say they aren’t sure.

Creating more opportunities for legal immigration

A majority of Democrats (69%), and a smaller but sizable share of Republicans (43%), say that creating more opportunities for people to legally immigrate to the U.S. would improve the current border situation.

Few Democrats say creating more legal options for migrants would make the border situation worse (8%) or that it would not have much of an impact (10%).

Republicans are more divided than Democrats, but nearly twice as many in the GOP say creating more legal opportunities for migrants would make things better (43%) rather than worse (22%). About two-in-ten say this would not make much of a difference.