(NewsNation) — In a shift from previous years, Americans are now viewing immigration more favorably. Concern over its effects on the nation has been decreasing, overturning a trend from the past four years.
Currently, only 30% of Americans wish to see immigration reduced, a significant drop from 55% in 2024. Furthermore, a record 79% believe that immigration benefits the country.
The new findings from Gallup come as border crossings have dropped and the Trump administration has begun rounds of mass deportation.
The poll numbers also show more Americans disapproving of how the Trump administration is handling immigration.
Among the general U.S. population, 30% prefer a reduction in immigration levels, 38% are content with current figures, and 26% advocate for an increase. Political affiliations influence these perspectives, with Republicans being the only group where a plurality, 48%, still prefer a reduction in immigration.
More Americans also favor offering pathways to citizenship to undocumented immigrants, with 78% of Americans saying they should be allowed to become citizens, up from 70% in 2024.
When it comes to enforcement, support for increasing the number of Border Patrol agents has dropped to 59%. Support for expanding the border wall has also dropped to 45%.
In addition, support for a policy of deporting all undocumented immigrants has dipped, with only 38% now favoring the idea, down from 47% last year.
When it comes to a proposed policy that would deny alleged gang members the ability to challenge their deportation in the courts, the country is split. Half favor the policy and 45% oppose it.
Trump’s policies have also seen a dip in support, with 62% of Americans disapproving of his handling of immigration, which includes the 45% of Americans who say they strongly disapprove. Just 21% of U.S. adults say they strongly approve of how the administration is handling immigration.
Those views are sharply split on partisan lines, with 85% of Republicans saying they approve of how the Trump administration is handling immigration, compared to 28% of independents and 2% of Democrats.
Race also plays a role, as the administration’s immigration policy has focused heavily on Hispanic immigrants who entered at the southern border.
Hispanic adults show lower support for deporting immigrants by 15 points and are more likely to support immigrants getting a pathway to citizenship by 13 points.
However, when it comes to the level of immigration, Hispanic adults are slightly more likely to say immigration should be decreased, coming in at 39% compared to 30%.
