Americans Favor Mass Deportation of Illegal Immigrants amid Fears of Rising Crime

The mass deportation of illegal immigrants is no longer a “far-right” wish list item but a political position supported by a majority of Americans, according to a new survey. An Axios/Harris poll released this week found that just over half (51%) of Americans support the mass deportation of illegal immigrants. While nearly 70% of Republicans support the move, nearly half of both Independent voters (46%) and even Democrats (42%) are on board, too.

Axios wrote, “Americans typically aren’t eager to deport immigrants who have put down roots in the U.S. But the poll of 6,251 U.S. adults suggests that the dynamic may be changing amid rising fears about crime and violence.”

Fifty-six percent of Americans believe that illegal immigration “is linked to spiking U.S. crime rates,” according to the survey. Additionally, the top concerns surrounding illegal immigration are increased crime rates, drugs, and violence; burdening taxpayers; and the increased risk of terrorism and a threat to national security.

This follows a Rasmussen Reports poll finding that nearly 70% of Americans (including 51% of Democrats) believe that illegal immigration is linked to rising crime rates, as well as warnings from national security officials that terrorists may exploit the open border and reports that suspected terrorists have been released into the U.S. under the Biden administration.

Earlier this year, a Monmouth University poll found that 84% of Americans consider illegal immigration to be a “serious” problem, including 61% who consider it “very serious.” That poll also found that a third of Americans (32%) believe illegal immigration is linked to rising crime rates in the U.S.

Axios noted, “President Biden is keenly aware the crisis threatens his re-election. He’s sought to flip the script by accusing Trump of sabotaging Congress’ most conservative bipartisan immigration bill in decades,” but admitted that 32% of Americans hold that the Biden administration is “most responsible” for the illegal immigration crisis, more so than any other U.S. institution. Harris Poll chairman and former Bill Clinton pollster Mark Penn warned the Biden administration that “efforts to shift responsibility for the issue to Trump are not going to work.” Referring to American voters, he added, “I think they’re just sending a message to politicians: ‘Get this under control.’”

A plethora of major polls have shown President Joe Biden’s popularity is floundering. While inflation and the economy are often ranked as the most important issue for voters heading into November, immigration is consistently a close second.