Immigration is increasingly a driving issue in American politics. Donald Trump used concerns about the rise migration at the southern border to propel his successful 2016 “Build That Wall” presidential campaign and he is returning to the theme today.
But there are other ongoing border-related stories in American politics that include a power struggle between the federal government and Texas over the U.S.-Mexico border, a foreign aid bill in Congress that has been tied to immigration policy, and the House of Representatives' attempt to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
But how critical is the immigration issue for Americans? Two recent Economist/YouGov polls show an average of 12% of Americans name immigration as their most important issue. That's second only to the 19% who name inflation and prices. But among Republicans, 23% name immigration as their top issue. That's similar to the 22% naming inflation — but since September, inflation has fallen from being the top issue for 35% of Republicans while immigration has risen from 16%.
Just 3% of Democrats say immigration is their top issue, while 13% name inflation.
Nevertheless, hundreds of thousands of people, mostly from Central America, arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border every year. And the visuals are bad for President Biden, turning migration into the one of the biggest wedge issues in American politics today.
Guest:
Jonathan Blitzer is a staff writer at The New Yorker. He won a 2017 National Award for Education Reporting for “American Studies,” a story about an underground school for undocumented immigrants. His new book is book is called “Everyone Who is Gone is Here.”
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255 or email thesource@tpr.org.
This interview will air on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
