A growing plurality of citizens alongside almost two out of three Republicans say immigration makes the nation “worse off,” according to a YouGov poll.
The June 3-6 poll of 1,500 citizens asked, “In general, do you think immigration makes the U.S. better off or worse off?”
A 36 percent plurality of all respondents said immigration — legal and illegal — makes the country “worse off,” while just 31 percent said immigration makes the nation “better off.” Registered voters split 37 percent worse off, and 35 percent better off.
The “worse off” plurality also debunks the Cold War-era narrative that the United States is a “Nation of Immigrants.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized President Joe Biden on Sunday for his open borders policy amid what he called an immigration “crisis.” https://t.co/iMPgOGDnhr
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) May 8, 2023
The poll was taken amid President Joe Biden’s loose borders policy, which has imported at least 4 million illegal southern migrants into Americans’ communities and workplaces.
Biden and his allies import more poor migrants for economic and “equity” reasons, amid abundant evidence of the huge pocketbook and civic damage they cause to blue-collar and white-collar Americans and their communities.
The poll’s 36 percent to 31 percent plurality against migration is a big 25-point shift from a prior YouGov poll in June 2021. In 2021, only 20 percent of adults said “worse off,” while 40 percent said “better off.”
Other polls show similar results.
The “worse” and “better” views may gain strength because many voters shrugged their shoulders at the question. Eighteen percent said immigration “does not make much difference,” and 14 percent said, “not sure.” Establishment media provides little information on migration to citizens, but much sympathetic coverage of migrants.
Among Republicans, 62 percent said “worse off,” while just 16 percent said “better off,” according to the poll. Just 25 percent were unconcerned.
That is a huge 36-point shift from June 2021, when the GOP supporters split 32 percent “worse off” and “22 percent” better off. Since the near-even split in 2021, the GOP’s “worse off” voters are now four times as numerous as the “better off” voters.
This shift is a coalition headache for the GOP leadership because most of the party’s major donors and local leaders strongly prefer the continued inflow of immigrant consumers, renters, and workers. The result is that nearly all GOP politicians zig-zag between voters and donors.
Since June 2021, Democrats have shifted towards “worse off.” In June 2021, 60 percent of Democrats reported a positive view and just 11 percent had a negative view. This May, Democrats were 47 percent positive and 16 percent negative. That adds up to an 18-point shift toward “worse off.”
Independents have shifted since June 2021 from 42 percent positive and 20 percent negative to 29 percent positive and 33 percent negative in May 2023. That marks a 26-point shift toward “worse off.”
Blacks split 33 percent better off, 22 percent worse off.
Hispanics split 39 percent better off, 21 percent worse off.
The poll also shows a modest class difference. Migration is slightly favored by voters who earn above $100,000, and distinctly unfavored by people who earn less than $50,000.
A plurality of young people are optimistic about migration. A small majority, 51 percent, of people older than 65 say migration makes the nation worse off.
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