Most Americans agree with hiring more border patrol agents and immigration judges as migrant surges continue at the U.S.-Mexico border.
This finding comes from a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center, released on Friday.
The survey shows that most people support policies related to immigration and border security, despite Congress’s challenges in passing related legislation.
About 58 percent of respondents said they either strongly or somewhat favor hiring more immigration judges and court staff to speed up asylum processes.
Similarly, 64 percent support hiring more border patrol agents.
Breaking it down by political party, 79 percent of Republicans support hiring more border patrol agents, compared to 54 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of independents.
Around half of the respondents agree that the U.S. should decrease the number of migrants allowed to seek asylum upon arrival at the southern border.
The survey indicates that while immigration is essential to 58 percent of adults, it’s ranked lower than the economy, health care, crime, or gun policy.
Regarding President Biden’s handling of immigration, 31 percent of respondents approve, showing some improvement over the past year.
However, only 30 percent approve of his handling of border security, which has declined.
The survey also highlights mixed feelings about the border wall, with only 42 percent of respondents supporting its construction, especially among Republicans.
Here’s the data presented in a tabular format:
| Survey Findings | Percentage of Respondents (Overal) |
|---|---|
| Favor hiring more immigration judges and court staff | 58% |
| Favor hiring more border patrol agents | 64% |
| Republicans favor hiring more border patrol agents | 79% |
| Democrats favor hiring more border patrol agents | 54% |
| Independents favor hiring more border patrol agents | 56% |
| Agree to reduce the number of migrants seeking asylum | 50% |
| Rank immigration as an important issue | 58% |
| Approve of Biden’s handling of immigration | 31% |
| Approve of Biden’s handling of border security | 30% |
| Support building a border wall | 42% |
Please note that these percentages are based on the survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center.
Recently, the Biden administration achieved a victory as a federal appeals court extended the block on a Texas immigration law that would empower local law enforcement to arrest individuals suspected of entering the country illegally.
In his recent State of the Union address, President Biden urged Congress to pass a border bill after months of failed negotiations.
The AP-NORC survey was conducted from March 21 to March 25 among 1,282 adults, with a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.