Americans Increasingly See Border as Crisis, Call For Tougher Measures, CBS News Poll Finds

Americans are increasingly concerned about the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, and the percentage who think the Biden administration should be tougher on immigrants trying to cross it is up to the highest percentage yet.

Most say the border situation is very serious, and nearly half now say it’s a crisis — up from May — a change in sentiment driven primarily by Democrats and independents.

As a result, President Biden’s approval on handing the U.S.-Mexico border has also dropped, and his approval on handling immigration in general is at an all-time low {snip}

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Many Americans, particularly those living in cities, report an increase in the number of immigrants arriving in their local area, and those who do are the most likely to view the situation as a crisis.

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Most Americans also oppose providing temporary housing and social services for migrants in the areas where they live. In May, a slim majority approved of this. Approval is down slightly among all partisans, as well as among those who live in urban and suburban areas, though a large majority of Democrats, and most Americans who live in cities, still favor it.

While Americans overwhelmingly think asylum-seekers crossing the U.S.-Mexico border should get a hearing, most don’t want them to remain in the United States. A majority says these applicants should leave the U.S., including some who think they should have no opportunity to come back.

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Along with concerns about resources, many Americans also express concerns about the long-term effect these current migrants will have on American society. Relatively few think they will make American society better in the long run, while nearly half think they will make it worse. Those who think the migrants will make society worse tend to lean Republican. {snip}