According to a Jan. 6, 2019 Morning Consult poll, a 42% plurality thinks there is “an illegal immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.” Thirty-seven percent of voters believe America faces a problem with illegal immigration, but not a crisis while 12% say there is no problem or crisis at all. These findings come the same week President Donald Trump took to primetime television to declare a crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Nearly half of all voters aged 45-54 years old (45%), 55-64 years old (51%), and over 65 years old (56%) believe there is a border crisis. Seventy-two percent of Republicans, 37% of Independents, and 19% of Democrats believe there is a crisis. Forty-five percent of men and 39% of women believe there is a crisis, including 40% of Independent men and 33% of Independent women. Half of rural voters and almost half (40%) of suburban voters say there is a crisis. Almost half (47%) of white voters and only 33% of Hispanic voters say there is an illegal immigration crisis at the border. Seventy-six percent of voters who supported Mr. Trump in 2016 and 74% of voters who supported a Republican House candidate in the 2018 Midterms believe there is a crisis, compared to just 17% of those who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2018 and 18% of those who voted for a Democrat House candidate in 2018.
Even though many do not believe there is a crisis, voters still believe America faces an illegal immigration problem at the border. For example, over half (52%) of Democrats, 56% of Clinton voters, and 55% of those who voted for a Democratic House candidate in 2018 say there is not a crisis, but acknowledge there is a problem. This suggests Americans would support Republicans and Democrats who address the problem with a compromise, rather than prolong the stalemate over the issue.
