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Poll Tracker: Attitudes on Immigration in the 2024 U.S. Elections

By Khalea Robertson

Immigration is a top issue in the November 5 contest. How do voters view the topic and the policy proposals of candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump?

There are approximately 47.8 million immigrants in the United States, representing 14.3 percent of the total population. Beginning in the mid-20th century, the U.S. foreign-born population has steadily shifted from being predominantly of European origin to greater numbers of Latin American and Asian migrants. Today, according to 2023 statistics from the census bureau, migrants born in the Americas represent 52.9 percent of the U.S. immigrant population—more than 25 million people. Almost 11 million of those people came from Mexico, the top country of origin overall.

On the campaign trail, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump have presented competing visions of whether to maintain, limit, or expand legal pathways to migration and citizenship. However, both have expressed a desire to increase border security measures with the aim of reducing the number of unauthorized crossings into the country. 

What are voters’ views on immigrants and immigration? And what do they think of their presidential candidates’ proposed migration policies? AS/COA compiles the data. 

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