Americans Are More Complex Than Our Political Choices: Immigration
Yet another way Americans buck the Republican/Democrat, left/right divide on important issues.
To hear the media, the two main political parties, and their supporters frame the issue, it would seem that Americans have a choice between two extremes when it comes to immigration:
- Round up and deport anyone and everyone, including children, build a border wall from California to Texas and militarize the US Border Patrol.
OR
- Open the borders, give amnesty to everyone (including criminals), and perpetuate some great replacement of Americans with immigrants.
Of course, neither of these two extremes is accurate, even if rhetoric matches sometimes. And neither of these two extremes, nor much of actual immigration policy in practice by either political party matches how typical Americans feel about the issue.
Americans Support Immigration, But…
According to Gallup, as of 2023, Americans remained largely supportive of legal immigration into the United States, with 68% saying it was good for the country. While this is down from 77% in 2020, it remains up since 2014’s 63%, and above the 59% average from 2001 to 2010.
