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Migrants line up at the Chaparral checkpoint in Tijuana, Mexico, January 20, 2025. /Xinhua
Editor's note: Anthony Moretti, a special commentator for CGTN, is an associate professor at the Department of Communication and Organizational Leadership at Robert Morris University in the U.S. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.
One set of poll numbers cannot capture the complexity of the U.S. immigration debate, but the data can offer a snapshot of a moment in time. Moreover, as we will see, numbers, although relevant, cannot explain the emotional reaction Americans have toward immigrants. The bitter reality is that men, women and children, most especially from Central American countries, hoping to enter the U.S., often will not find an open door and a warm welcome.
Although Americans say they understand and support the benefits of immigration, that enthusiasm is waning. Roughly 64 percent of U.S. citizens view immigration positively; they want to uphold the myth that the United States has always been a haven for the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free," words inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty. However, public support is declining. In 2020, 77 percent of Americans endorsed immigration, and that figure has steadily dropped – to 75 percent in 2021, to 70 percent in 2022, to 68 percent in 2023 and finally 64 percent last year.
Meanwhile, Gallup, examining a different set of data, reported that support for immigration has cooled among Democrats, Republicans and independents. Gallup suggests that the ingrained idea that the federal government has failed to rein in illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border has increased frustration among voters. As we will see, economic uncertainty also plays a role.
As he ran for president last year, Donald Trump successfully tapped into the public's anger about the crisis, whether real or imagined, at the border. He promised the "largest deportation operation in history," rhetoric that played an important role in his electoral victory, particularly among swing voters who believed then-President Joe Biden had failed to address the crisis. Many of these voters shifted their support to Trump over Biden's running mate, then Vice President Kamala Harris.
Did Biden fail? According to an analysis by the British newspaper The Independent, Trump's policies led to roughly 1.2 million deportations while he was president from 2017 until 2021, whereas Biden was responsible for roughly 650,000 deportations. However, deportations are just one metric for evaluating border and national security. Other factors include the number of migrants apprehended while attempting to cross the border, those who voluntarily return home, and those denied entry during health crises.
Trump swiftly acted on his campaign promises. Within hours of being sworn in as president, he issued an executive order that declared an emergency at the border, a move that will send thousands of military personnel there to assist other federal agencies that try to stifle illegal crossings.
Migrants wait at the Chaparral checkpoint in Tijuana, Mexico, January 20, 2025. /Xinhua
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently carried out raids in major cities such as Atlanta, Dallas and Miami. Even churches, traditionally considered safe havens for undocumented immigrants, faced a stern rebuke from Vice President James David Vance for allegedly failing to help the government. Additionally, a separate executive order ended birthright citizenship, a policy granting citizenship to any child born on American soil to non-citizen parents.
The American response to these tougher immigration measures? Broad approval – with growing support for Trump to consider even stronger policies that human rights organizations are certain to oppose.
Therein lies the rub about the complex nature of immigration. Data, whether they come from polls or databases, offer a clinical look at the issue, and such numbers often consider only a sliver of the debate. As a result, these numbers often miss the emotional and value-laden responses to the issue. Consider this one example to illustrate why Americans believe immigrants can be a problem: Although immigrants are far less likely to commit a crime, Americans believe just the opposite. Therefore, many state and national politicians play up this fear, knowing that significant pockets of the public will accept it and demand something be done in order to increase their safety.
One other element to the immigration issue needs to be recognized, and there is no nice way to say this: Too many Americans do not want the jobs that immigrants often take on. Most Americans do not want to toil under the hot sun picking fruits or vegetables. In fact, they disdain almost all jobs relating to food production and distribution. They prefer not to work in hotels tidying up rooms and hallways. They do not want to be caregivers to elderly men and women. But when fears about job security kick in, an entirely different narrative is heard. As unemployment numbers start to again creep up, immigrants are likely to feel the wrath of Americans worried that "they" are taking jobs from "me."
As 2025 unfolds in the U.S., fear is thumping logic. History reminds us that in such times, sound policies are tossed aside in favor of bold actions that provide "assurance" that something is being done. Asking whether that something is sound is neither wise nor likely to be considered.
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on Twitter to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)