Attitudes toward illegal immigration are changing among Democrat voters

Joe Biden and his party may have to start moving away from the feelings of their supporter base if they want to try to capture independent voters, writes Chris Stevenson

Joe Biden has another problem to cope with ahead of the midterm elections in November (AP)

There has been little doubt about the priorities for the Biden administration recently – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the economy and the Covid-19 pandemic – but immigration is an issue never too far from the minds of US voters.

Recently released polling from Gallup makes interesting reading for both parties. The thoughts of Republicans are not surprising, with 68 per cent of those asked worrying “a great deal” about illegal immigration. This is lower than the 76 per cent hight seen in 2021, but is still on the high end of what Gallup has previously recorded.

Overall, those Republicans who worry “a great deal” has risen from 29 per cent in 2001 – with a couple of big leaps just after the 2018 midterm elections (January 2019) and as Donald Trump was leaving office (January 2021). This has helped push the overall level of all those across America who worry “a great deal” about illegal immigration to 41 per cent, which is on the high end of Gallup’s historic ratings. (Although the issue sits in the lower half of voter concerns, with the economy and inflation sitting at the top.)