- Voters call the migrant crisis the most important problem facing the nation
- Only 36 percent of Americans approve of how Biden will approach the border
- None of the other top four issues show Biden polling above 43 percent
A new poll shows bad news for President Joe Biden as voters continue to say the crisis at the border is their biggest problem — and they disagree with how he is handling it.
Biden’s latest solution to the disaster may expand a program that allows 4,000 undocumented immigrants annually to avoid deportation and get a green card to stay in the United States.
He will have to work to repair the damage, as only 36 percent of Americans approve of his handling of immigration, according to a Harvard Harris Poll released this week.
More importantly, more and more Americans say immigration is the most important issue facing the country, with 36 percent of respondents choosing it over inflation, which has fallen to second place at 33 percent.
Unfortunately for the president, his numbers in this area are only slightly better at 39 percent.
A new poll shows bad news for President Joe Biden as voters continue to say the crisis at the border is their biggest problem — and they don’t agree with the way he’s handling it
Migrants of different nationalities walk towards the US border in a caravan called ‘The Migrant’s Via Crucis’
Inflation continues to outpace immigration as the issue that most personally affects voters, with 38 percent of respondents saying they are most personally affected by the cost crisis.
The economy and employment come third at 23 percent, while crime comes in fourth at 18 percent.
Biden is doing slightly better on these issues, with 41 percent of Americans approving of his performance on crime and 43 percent approving of his handling of the economy.
Overall, only 44 percent of voters approve of Biden, while 51 percent disapprove.
That’s a contrast to his opponent in November, Donald Trump, who was viewed positively by 50 percent of respondents, compared to 45 percent who disapproved of the former president.
Trump has a two-point lead over Biden by a 51-49 margin in a head-to-head race, up from a six-point lead in February.
With independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. however, on the ballot, Trump’s lead increases to four points, 43 to 39, with RFK Jr. 17 percent receive.
It is striking that Kennedy receives more votes from the Democrats (17 percent) than from the Republicans (10 percent).
Overall, only 44 percent of voters approve of Biden, while 51 percent disapprove. That’s a contrast to his opponent in November, Donald Trump, who was viewed positively by 50 percent of respondents, compared to 45 percent who disapproved of the former president.
Migrants walk in a caravan called ‘Viacrucis migrant’ heading towards Mexico City
Biden and Trump are tied at 36 percent among independents, while Kennedy gets 28 percent.
It comes amid an ongoing crackdown by Republicans in Congress against the Biden administration’s actions at the southern border.
The House of Representatives voted last month to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for dereliction of duty and lying to the American people. And recent reports showing that 320,000 migrants have been flown into US cities by the Biden administration in 2023 have only increased criticism of Biden’s immigration policies.
There has been increased attention lately on the crime committed by illegal immigrants, as Republicans point out that it is yet another reason why more policies should be put in place to stem the flow across the southern border.
Georgian nursing student Laken Riley, 22, was kidnapped while on the run last month and brutally murdered on the University of Georgia campus by undocumented Venezuelan immigrant José Antonio Ibarra, 26, who was released to the US after had crossed the border illegally in September 2022.
The following month, another undocumented immigrant was arrested in Massachusetts for the rape of a 15-year-old disabled girl.