Half of all Americans, including more than 40% of Democrats, support the mass deportation of unlawful migrants from the United States, according to a new Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll.
The poll shows that support for the removal of unlawful migrants among independent and Democratic voters is growing as numerous problems come to light. Increasing crime, cities struggling with housing and paying for unlawful migrants, and an uptick in the number of cases of opioid overdose were among the top reasons given for the shifting attitude, the poll found.
Among Democrats, 42% said they would support mass deportations, while 46% of independents responded similarly. Republican respondents strongly supported mass deportation, with 68% in favor. Major differences were identified between generations. Older Americans were far more supportive (Boomer+ at 60% and Gen X at 53%), while the youngest generation surveyed, Gen Z, reported just 35% support, the lowest of any age group.
The poll also found that 32% of respondents blame President Joe Biden for the unlawful migration crisis — more than any other political or structural factor.
“I was surprised at the public support for large-scale deportations,” said Mark Penn, chairman of The Harris Poll, per Axios.
“I think they’re just sending a message to politicians: ‘Get this under control,’” he said, noting that it was a warning to Biden that “efforts to shift responsibility for the issue to Trump are not going to work.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reported more than 7.5 million encounters with unlawful migrants along the southern border since Biden took office in 2021, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. The House Committee on Homeland Security states that an estimated 1.7 million unlawful migrants have crossed into the United States without being apprehended in any way, meaning there is no record of the exact number of such people who have entered.
Texas has been at the epicenter of the problem. With the Biden administration’s decision to end several Trump-era border security policies, Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, a joint operation between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department, to mitigate the situation at the border.