Poll: Two-thirds say border situation is a ‘crisis’
Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
As the Biden administration faces heat for the deteriorating situation at the U.S.-Mexico border and for refusing to label it a “crisis,” a new poll has found that two-thirds of likely voters would classify the situation as a “crisis.”
The poll from Rasmussen Reports published Monday found that 67% of likely voters would call the situation at the border as a “crisis,” as opposed to members of the administration—such as White House press secretary Jen Psaki and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas—calling it a “challenge”.
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On the other hand, only 23% said it’s not a crisis and 10% are not sure.
The survey of 1,000 likely voters conducted between March 18 and 21 also asked if individuals agreed or disagreed with this statement: “President Biden himself … has caused the [border] crisis with both his rhetoric and his policies”.
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A slight majority of respondents—53%—said they agreed with that assessment, whereas 38% said they disagreed and 10% were unsure.
Many Republicans have accused Biden of incentivizing migrants to come to the southern border with his policy proposals for undocumented immigrants, such as an eight-year pathway to citizenship.
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Since January, the reported number of migrants crossing the southern border has surged, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with many of these migrants being unaccompanied children.
The Biden administration has been scrambling to accompany and process all these migrants, as well as test them for COVID-19. Although, the administration has faced backlash over reports that facilities have released COVID-positive migrants into the country.
In the wake of accusations that he has been incentivizing migrants to come to the United States, Biden last Tuesday issued a message to migrants, telling them: “Don’t come over.”