What Americans think about Trump’s immigration actions early in his second term
Nearly six-in-ten Americans (59%) say they approve of Trump increasing efforts to deport people who are living in the U.S. illegally.
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Nearly six-in-ten Americans (59%) say they approve of Trump increasing efforts to deport people who are living in the U.S. illegally.
About four-in-ten Americans (42%) say highly skilled workers should be given top priority to legally immigrate to the U.S.
Among those who support mass deportations, 43% also say undocumented immigrants should have a way to stay in the country legally.
Three-quarters of voters say undocumented immigrants fill jobs citizens don’t want, while 61% say the same of legal immigrants.
Most say they’d move to the U.S. again if they could and cite a good comparative standard of living. But 59% also see major issues with the immigration system.
The monthly number of U.S. Border Patrol encounters with migrants crossing from Mexico has plummeted in 2024 from 2023’s record high.
In 2022, roughly 10.6 million immigrants living in the U.S. were born in Mexico, making up 23% of all U.S. immigrants.
The number of immigrants living in the U.S. grew by about 1.6 million people in 2023, the largest annual increase by number since 2000.
A majority of Trump backers say more immigrants would make life worse for people like them, while most Harris backers say life wouldn’t change.
More Latino registered voters back Kamala Harris (57%) than Donald Trump (39%), and supporters of each candidate prioritize different issues.
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