The survey discovered that 38% of Americans want less immigration, while 27% announced they want more. Another 31% announced they want immigration to remain at its current level.
The last time more Americans wanted immigration reduced was in 2014 when 41% held that opinion, 33% said they wished present levels were maintained, and only 22% said they wished immigration levels grew.
This year’s numbers are nearly a mirror image of 2020 when 28% of Americans announced they wished to see immigration levels decreased — matching the low-water mark for that point of view. In the same survey, 36% answered they wanted immigration to stay at current levels, and 34% stated they wanted to raise immigration levels.
WATCH: UCLA PROTESTORS LOST THEIR MIND CALLING THE UNIVERSITY A VIOLENT INSTITUTION
The change in attitudes comes as nationwide encounters of migrants have more than quadrupled in the US over the last two years. On the southern border alone, Customs and Border Protection has already reported the highest number of migrant encounters in a fiscal year since 1960 after recording 207,416 stops in June.
WATCH: TRUMP'S ATTORNEY FACING INDICTMENT IN ARIZONA
President Biden and his administration have been heavily criticized for the historic spike as some Republican leaders – namely Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey – have started to transport migrants to the east coast cities like New York and Washington DC to ease the strain on border towns.
IS MCDONALD'S BECOMING THE NEW CHAMPION OF AFFORDABILITY?
The Gallup poll did not refer to “legal” or “illegal” immigration, leaving interpretation up to respondents.
MEET VICTORIA SHI: THE AI-BOT SPOKESWOMAN TAKING UKRAINE'S FOREIGN MINISTRY BY STORM
The venerable polling company has been asking Americans about immigration since 1965. Backing for more restrictions peaked between 1993 and 1995, when 65% of Americans announced they wanted the number of new arrivals reduced amid efforts by then-President Bill Clinton to strengthen border control.
MOUNTING PRESSURE: OVER 300 ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVISTS DEMAND REGULATIONS FOR ISRAEL IN UPCOMING OLYMPICS
Backing for decreased immigration dropped to 38% in 2000 before rising to 58% in October 2001, a month after the 9/11 terror attacks.
Gallup further discovered that 69% of Republicans want less immigration to the US, up 12 percentage points from last year. In the meantime, only 33% and 17% of Independents and Democrats want less immigration – a four-point increase from 2021 among both groups.
SPOILER ALERT: MSNBC HOSTS WARN THAT CAMPUS PROTESTS MIGHT PAVE THE WAY FOR TRUMP'S COMEBACK
Despite the growing desire for fewer immigrants, most Americans still think immigration is a positive for the US.
Gallup discovered that 70% of respondents call immigration a “good thing,” while only 24% of Americans say it is a “bad thing.”