How U.S. Media Coverage Contributes to the Polarization of the Immigration Debate Across the Country
The economy remains Americans' main priority ahead of November 2024 elections, but immigration, among the top 10 concerns for U.S. voters this year according to the Pew Research Center, is playing a central role in the public conversation. So much so that a February Gallup poll shows Americans think immigration is the most important problem facing the country today for the first time since 2019.
Monthly migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border hit an all-time high last December, and both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump recently visited the U.S.-Mexico border to promote their respective policies after a bi-partisan border security bill was blocked by Trump loyalists in the Senate, who followed the former President's lead in saying it wasn't tough enough.
According to Pew, the share of Americans citing immigration as a top priority during Biden's presidency jumped from 39% to 57% with the "change coming almost entirely among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents."
