A sizable majority of Democratic voters believes the Biden administration is doing a poor job of handling illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexican border, according to a new Pew Research Center poll.
The survey of 5,140 U.S. adults between January 16 and 21 found 49 percent of Democratic or Democratic-leaning voters think the government is doing a “somewhat bad” job of “dealing with the large number of migrants seeking to enter the U.S. at the border with Mexico,” with another 23 percent answering, “very bad.” When adjusted, a total of 73 percent of respondents have a negative view of how the border crisis is being handled.
Illegal immigration over the southern border has become a highly contentious issue with border protection officers making 124,220 arrests in January, though this was down substantially from the whopping record high of 249,735 recorded in December.
Even more revealing, just 23 percent of Democratic-leaning voters think the administration is doing a “somewhat good” job of handling migration over the southern border, with another three percent for “very good.”
These are low numbers and clearly indicate that the Democrats are handling the border issue wrong.
Former US President Donald Trump, the seemingly uncontested favorite for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has made illegal immigration one of his chief election issues and he will likely gain more followers based on this.
The situation at the southern border has captured the attention of lawmakers and is becoming the central focal point in the debate between Biden and Trump supporters. After Senate negotiators proposed a bipartisan border security bill on Feb. 4, a revolt by Trump allies in the GOP sank the deal before it could reach the House, with some Republicans saying they would rather campaign on the crisis than solve it.
In a significant political move, the Republican-majority House voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, marking him as one of the few cabinet officials in nearly 150 years to face impeachment. This move underscores GOP criticism of the Biden administration’s border policies. House Speaker Mike Johnson led the impeachment vote, reflecting deep Republican discontent with Mayorkas, particularly over his management of the southern border and immigration issues.
Amidst this political drama, reports surfaced of the White House’s efforts to influence Mayorkas’ public statements on the border situation, advising against labeling the migration surge as a ‘crisis.’ Additionally, there was discussion among officials about possibly dismissing Mayorkas to overhaul the administration’s border messaging strategy.
Despite the House’s narrow vote for impeachment, the Democrat-controlled Senate is expected to acquit Mayorkas, as a two-thirds Senate majority is required for conviction and removal from office.
This controversy takes place against the backdrop of unprecedented migration and illegal border crossings following Biden’s directive to Mayorkas to relax Trump-era immigration restrictions. A bipartisan group in the House proposed a border security plan aiming to tighten asylum rules and reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy, though it faces uncertain prospects.
The situation at the U.S.-Mexico border has evolved dramatically, with a shift from mostly single men seeking work to large groups of migrants from diverse countries, including Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, China, and India, seeking asylum. This change challenges outdated U.S. border and immigration laws.
Debate continues over the effectiveness and authority of U.S. border policies, with Republicans criticizing Biden’s approach and highlighting Mayorkas’ handling of the border as a failure. Despite this, data indicates that the U.S. government’s control over illegal border crossings is limited, focusing instead on post-crossing actions.
While the narrative surrounding the border crisis and Mayorkas’ role remains contentious as political and legal debates unfold, the reality of the situation demands that the U.S. immediately seal its southern border to prevent further illegal crossings.
Violent gangs are taking control of major American cities, policemen are under attack, and crime is spiraling out of control. There are too many dangers inherent in allowing people to freely cross our borders. The time has come to seal it once and for all.
