Immigration is a top issue for American voters this year, with a record number of people saying the situation at the southern border is either a major problem or a complete emergency, according to the latest Fox News national poll released Thursday.
Nearly 9 in 10 voters say the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border is either an emergency (44%) or a major problem (43%). That's up from February, when about 8 in 10 considered it an emergency (41%) or a major problem (37%).
Concern about the border rose most notably among those under 30 (+20 points), Black voters (+19), Democrats (+14), Hispanic voters (+12), and women (+12).
In January 2019, when the question was first asked during the Trump administration, 22% said the border was an emergency. Today, that number has doubled to 44%.
More people blame the Biden administration's lack of border enforcement (71%, to a great extent or somewhat) than former President Trump and the Republican Senate for failed immigration legislation (57%).
Trump and Republican senators opposed a deal on immigration reform in February and May of this year. Biden began reversing Trump-era immigration policies during his first months in office.
There is partisan agreement when it comes to pointing the finger at Biden: At least half of Democrats (50%), Republicans (91%) and independents (72%) feel the administration is to blame.
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However, when it comes to the role of Trump and Senate Republicans, Democrats (86%) are far more likely than Republicans (29%) and independents (52%) to assign blame.
Immigration is also the issue Biden sees as most problematic among the three job performance issues assessed: 35% approve to 62% disapprove. He does slightly better on foreign policy (39% approve, 58% disapprove) and the economy (37% to 61%).
The poll also asks about policy ideas related to immigration and border security and finds that 63% favor deporting illegal immigrants to their home countries. That's down from 67% in 2023, but nowhere near the 52% who supported it in 2015, the first time it was asked.
Another 6 in 10 (58%) favor allowing illegal immigrants who have jobs in the U.S. to apply for legal status, a record low.
The least favorable measure is allowing illegal immigrants to have driver's licenses: 30% in favor versus 67% against.
Immigration and the presidential race
At 14%, immigration is tied with abortion as the most important issue for voters in this election, far behind the economy, which ranks first at 38%. Every other issue surveyed scores in the single digits.
The economy, immigration and abortion have been top priorities for months in both national and swing state polls.
And with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump in a tight race (49% Harris vs. 50% Trump), these issues could make all the difference.
Harris is seen as better equipped to handle abortion by a 16-point margin. Trump is seen as better at handling two of the three top issues: by 14 points on immigration and by a narrow 6-point margin on the economy. His biggest lead over Harris is on handling border security: 19 points.
In early 2021, Biden chose Harris to lead White House efforts to address immigration challenges at the southern border.
Voters trusted Trump over Biden on the economy by at least 10 points in three of the last four Fox News national polls, and Trump generally held double-digit leads on immigration.
Those who prioritize immigration and the economy favor Trump over Harris in the race by 62 and 34 points, respectively, while Harris leads on abortion by 64 points.
Foreign policy review: Opinions remain firm on Ukraine, but concerns grow about Israel and Hamas
Seven in ten people are extremely or very concerned about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which is consistent with opinions since January 2023. At the start of the war in spring 2022, about eight in ten were concerned.
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In contrast to stable sentiment on Ukraine, concern about the conflict between Israel and Hamas rose to 74%, up 5 points from last month. Slightly more, 77%, are concerned about the possibility of the war escalating into a wider regional war.
Six in ten voters side with the Israelis (60%) in the conflict, up from 57% in June. Twenty-nine percent support the Palestinians, a figure virtually unchanged since February.
At the beginning of the war, 68% were on the side of the Israelis and 18% on the side of the Palestinians.
While majorities of partisans are concerned about each war, Democrats are equally concerned about Ukraine (80%) and Israel-Hamas (78%), while Republicans and independents are more concerned about the Middle East than the war with Ukraine and Russia.
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Most Republicans (76%) and independents (53%) side with the Israelis, while Democrats are more divided (46% Israeli, 42% Palestinian).
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This Fox News Poll, conducted August 9-12, 2024, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), includes interviews with a sample of 1,105 randomly selected registered voters from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers by landline (129) and cell phone (704) or completed the survey online after receiving a text message (272). Results based on the full sample have a sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error associated with results among subgroups is larger. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are typically applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure that respondent demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weighting targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and Voter File data.
