CGTN Poll: Immigration issue being used to obscure poor governance in U.S., say respondents

The new U.S. administration recently declared a "national emergency" on the southern border and halted all illegal immigration.

The immigration issue became a priority domestic issue for the new U.S. government. However, according to a global online poll conducted by CGTN, the respondents expressed widespread concern over the U.S. government's approach to addressing illegal immigration, with many perceiving illegal immigrants as "scapegoats" used to obscure issues of governance inefficiency.

On the issue of immigrants, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he will not hesitate to deploy the military to carry out large-scale deportations of illegal immigrants. In the survey, 63.9 percent of the respondents are deeply concerned about this.

The U.S. has, over the years, thrived due to the influx of immigrants, but its approach to dealing with immigration issues has been deemed disgraceful by many. Apart from frequent reports of violent law enforcement and the illegal employment of child migrant labor, incidents causing migrant injuries and deaths also occur from time to time.

In the survey, 86.2 percent of the respondents believe that the U.S. government has systematically violated human rights when dealing with immigration issues; 80.2 percent of respondents call on the U.S. government to provide more fair and reasonable treatment to immigrants. In their view, violent expulsion and suppression will only further exacerbate immigration issues and trigger racial discrimination, even social division.

In addition to the human rights abuses, immigrants have also been victimized by the increasing partisanship and political polarization in American society. U.S. immigration policy has repeatedly fluctuated with changes in administration. The hardline and indifferent immigration policies of the new administration stand in stark contrast to those of the previous government.

In this regard, 86.6 percent of the respondents believe that both parties in the U.S. are utilizing the issue of immigration to achieve their political goals rather than truly caring about the situation of immigrants. A total of 81.4 percent of the respondents believe that the U.S. government's inconsistent immigration policies have made the situation difficult for most immigrants, viewing this as indifferent and irresponsible.

In recent years, increasing political polarization and a widening wealth gap have led to new governance issues in the U.S. This has, in turn, seen immigrants become a target. They are often labeled as "job thieves" or "terrorists."

In the survey, 82.9 percent of the respondents expressed skepticism about the claim that immigrants have impacted U.S. society adversely, believing that immigrants are merely "scapegoats" for U.S. poor governance. An overwhelming 82.6 percent of the respondents are concerned that the continued confrontation between the two parties on the issue of immigration will further exacerbate social divisions.

The survey was released on CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms, with more than 6,178 netizens voting and expressing their opinions within 24 hours.