State of the Union 2026: Where Americans stand on key issues facing the nation
Ahead of the State of the Union, here’s a look at U.S. public opinion on key policy issues, drawn from recent Pew Research Center surveys.
Immigration Issues
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Immigration Issues
Publications
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Migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border are at their lowest level in more than 50 years
Since the first full month of Trump’s current term, the Border Patrol has recorded fewer than 10,000 encounters a month at the southwestern border.
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7 facts about Venezuelans in the U.S.
The number of Venezuelans in the U.S. has more than doubled in five years, to about 1.2 million. Here’s what we know about this population.
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Growing shares say the Trump administration is doing ‘too much’ to deport immigrants in the U.S. illegally
Overall, 50% of adults disapprove of the Trump administration’s approach to immigration, including 36% who strongly disapprove.
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Republicans’ Views of Justice Department, FBI Rebound as Democrats’ Views Shift More Negative
The U.S. Postal Service, Park Service, Weather Service and NASA are viewed favorably by Republicans and Democrats, while views of ICE are deeply polarized.
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Q&A: How Pew Research Center estimates the number of unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S.
In this Q&A, we speak with Senior Demographer Jeffrey S. Passel about how the Center estimates the number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S.
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U.S. Unauthorized Immigrant Population Reached a Record 14 Million in 2023
The number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. reached an all-time high after two consecutive years of record growth.
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What the data says about immigrants in the U.S.
As of June 2025, the country’s foreign-born population had shrunk by more than a million people, marking its first decline since the 1960s.
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About 1 in 4 U.S. adults worry they or someone close to them could be deported
About four-in-ten immigrants (43%) say they worry a lot or some, up from 33% in March.
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Americans Have Mixed to Negative Views of Trump Administration Immigration Actions
The public is split over local law enforcement helping deportation efforts, and majorities disapprove of suspending asylum applications.
