By Jesus MesaShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA new Economist/YouGov poll shows that more Americans now favor reducing the number of legal immigrants entering the United States, but immigration continues to rank low on the list of national priorities—even as President Donald Trump doubles down on the issue in his second term.
According to the poll, conducted November 21–24, 35 percent of U.S. adults said the number of legal immigrants accepted annually should be either "decreased" (26 percent) or "reduced to zero" (9 percent).
By comparison, 23 percent favored increasing legal immigration, and 26 percent supported keeping levels the same. The data underscore a modest but noticeable shift in sentiment amid a political climate increasingly shaped by Trump's hardline policies.
Why It Matters
Trump has doubled down on immigration in his second term. After a shooting in Washington, D.C., allegedly carried out by an Afghan refugee, he announced on November 27 that he will “permanently pause” immigration from all so-called “Third World countries” and remove anyone he does not consider a “net asset” to the United States.
The announcement came just days after several polls, including YouGov’s, showed Trump’s approval rating hitting a new low.
What To Know
Support for reducing legal immigration is strongest among conservatives and Trump voters. Among Trump's 2024 voters, 38 percent favor reducing legal immigration and another 17 percent support eliminating it. In contrast, only 2 percent of those who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris favor eliminating legal immigration, while 40 percent support increasing it.
The divide extends across ideology and demographics. Sixty percent of self-described conservatives want legal immigration reduced or halted, while just 14 percent of liberals agree. Younger adults are more likely to favor increases—29 percent among those aged 18 to 29—while Americans over 65 are the most likely to want cuts.
Though polls show some Americans warming to Trump’s immigration positions, especially when framed in terms of “border security,” his overall approach remains divisive.
An earlier YouGov poll, from November 17, found that only 35 percent approved of the way he is handling immigration (20 percent strongly, 15 percent somewhat), while 52 percent disapproved, including nearly 4 in 10 who strongly disapprove.
...A Marquette Law School poll conducted earlier in November found that 54 percent approved of Trump’s handling of border security, but only 45 percent approved of his broader immigration policy.
A recent New York Times review of public sentiment highlighted the nuanced nature of immigration attitudes. Support for Trump’s border tactics rises when questions emphasize public safety, such as deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records, which earns a 77-point net approval. But approval drops sharply for more extreme measures, including deploying the military to detain migrants (−21 points) or deporting immigrants brought to the U.S. as children (−29 points).
As the Trump administration continues to escalate its immigration crackdown, public interest in the issue appears limited. In the November 24 Economist/YouGov poll, just 6 percent of Americans ranked immigration as the most important issue. Inflation (25 percent), jobs and the economy (16 percent), and health care (11 percent) ranked far higher.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday: “Even as we have progressed technologically, Immigration Policy has eroded those gains and living conditions for many. I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis posted on X: “The USA should never import anyone who hates our country or who is not culturally/politically compatible with America, much less import such people on a mass scale. The mass migration championed in Europe by elites (who, it just so happens, are insulated from its effects) has been a major own goal.”
What Happens Next
As part of its broader immigration shift, the administration has sharply reduced refugee admissions, capping the annual total at around 7,500.
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