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SCOTUS clears way for Trump immigration policy push
LiveNOW’s Austin Westfall is speaking with Andrea Flores as the Supreme Court cleared the Trump administration to potentially revive an immigration policy once used to turn back migrants seeking asylum at the southern border.
A broad majority of Americans believe immigration is a good thing for the U.S., though support has dropped from a record high last year, according to a new Gallup poll.
The poll, conducted June 1-15, found that only 21% of U.S. adults believe immigration is bad for the nation. Here’s what else it found:
Support for immigration drops slightly
By the numbers:
According to Gallup, 73% of Americans view immigration as a positive, down from a record high of 79% in 2025. Support is still higher than the 25-year average of 67%, and above the 66% reported in 2024.
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Immigration is a partisan issue
Dig deeper:
The drop in overall support for immigration was largely driven by Republicans as the Trump administration continues its aggressive crackdown, Gallup says. GOP support for immigration dropped to 50%, down 14 percentage points over last year.
Pro-immigrant activists protest US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests and confront ICE officers outside Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., May 27, 2026. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Independents’ views on immigration as a net positive also dipped this year to 73%, while the 91% of Democrats who support immigration remain unchanged.
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Immigration and the economy
A separate Gallup web poll asked Americans about legal immigration and its impacts on the economy. Here’s what they said:
As expected, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to view immigration as a positive for the economy. The only area where Republicans view immigration as a positive for the economy is for workforce gaps left by a growing retired population.
Overall, Americans are "most skeptical about housing availability and costs and job opportunities for U.S.-born workers," Gallup says.
Should immigration be increased or decreased?
Asked whether immigration should be increased, decreased or kept at its present level, 35% of U.S. adults favor keeping immigration at its present level, while 31% want it increased and 29% want it decreased.
The Source: This report includes information from two separate Gallup polls conducted in June 2026.