A majority of Americans support the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, according to a new Scripps News/Ipsos survey.
Fifty-four percent of respondents said they “strongly” or "somewhat support” the policy, including 86% of Republicans, 58% of independents, and 25% of Democrats.
The poll, which focuses on the most talked about immigration policies of the 2024 campaign, showcases major partisan divides between voters on how to address one of the biggest topics of the presidential race.
Thirty-nine percent of respondents called immigration a top issue for them this campaign, second only to inflation, which topped the list at 57%. Trump has a ten-point advantage on who respondents think will do a better job handling immigration (44%-34%).
About a third of Americans say securing the U.S.-Mexico border is the nation’s top immigration priority, followed by a pathway to citizenship for those who qualify (20%), deporting those here illegally (18%) and ensuring opportunities remain for those trying to legally enter the country (18%).
About half of Americans say they’re concerned about non-citizens voting in the 2024 election, driven mostly by Republicans (83%), independents (46%), and a smaller share of Democrats (24%).
It is illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and there is little evidence that illegally cast ballots have had an impact on the results. House Republicans, however, have made it a priority to champion legislation that would add additional safeguards to prevent non-citizens from casting ballots.
But there are areas of bipartisan support. Nearly nine in 10 Democrats and 52% of Republicans say they support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children.
And both Democrats (55%) and Republicans (88%) support restrictions limiting the number of migrants who can claim asylum.
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President Joe Biden in June announced executive actions to stem the flow of asylum claims at the southern border. Since then illegal crossings have decreased more than 50 percent, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.
And with less than seven weeks to go until Election Day, 77% of voters say they are closely paying attention to the presidential campaign, with 59% following the situation at the southern border.
The Scripps News/Ipsos poll was conducted by Ipsos from Sept. 13 to Sept. 15, using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,027 adults age 18 or older. The margin of error is +/- 3.6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
