Election Issues: how do Americans feel about immigration?

Polling reveals the critical election issue

Where do Americans stand on immigration?

Mass deportations of immigrants living in the country illegally

Admitting immigrants from all over the world to ensure a diverse immigrant population

Allowing undocumented immigrants to stay legally in the country if they are married to a U.S. citizen

Admitting immigrants who can fill labor shortages

Allowing international students who receive a U.S. college degree to stay in the country

Improving security along the country’s borders

Polling reveals the critical election issue

Immigration has become one of the most important policy issues of the 2024 Presidential Election according to several recent studies. But how could this critical election issue sway voters on November 5th?

Thoughts on immigration in February

In February 2024, polling from Gallup revealed that 28% of Americans thought that the biggest issue facing the country was immigration, which Gallup noted was the highest it has been since 2019.

Immigration concerns six months later

Polling from July 2024 published by Statista discovered that 19% of the voting adults it surveyed thought immigration was the top issue facing the nation at that time—but Satista wasn’t alone.

Immigration has remained a top issue

Survey data has continued to show that immigration is one of the top issues that voters are using to help guide their ballot choices in November, including a Harvard Harris Cap poll from October that showed immigration was the second top issue for Americans.

Most say immigration guides their vote

In September, polling from the Pew Research Center found that 61% of voters, or about six in ten, said that immigration was very important to their vote in 2024—a figure that is up 9 points from 2020 and 13 points from 2022.

Where do Americans stand on immigration?

With some of the statistics in mind, it's easy to see why understanding where American voters stand on immigration policy in their country going into the election can be useful for each campaign and political pundits.

The latest data reveals surprises

In September, the Pew Research Center released survey data from polling it conducted in mid-August that aimed to gauge how Americans on all sides of the U.S. political aisle and the findings were surprising.

A stark divide on the issue

What the survey data revealed was that the country is starkly divided on several of key issues. Let’s take a look at the results to better understand how the American electorate feels about this complicated issue.

Mass deportations of immigrants living in the country illegally

Trump Supporters: 88%

Harris Supporters: 27%

All Registered Voters: 56%

Admitting immigrants from all over the world to ensure a diverse immigrant population

Trump Supporters: 29%

Harris Supporters: 72%

All Registered Voters: 51%

Allowing undocumented immigrants to stay legally in the country if they are married to a U.S. citizen

Trump Supporters: 37%

Harris Supporters: 80%

All Registered Voters: 58%