CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — Migrant encounters at the U.S. border have quadrupled since 2020, according to a court filing obtained by NewsNation.
More than 62,000 migrants were released into the U.S. last month alone, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
A new exclusive NewsNation poll suggests that despite a crisis at the border with a growing influx of undocumented immigrants crossing into the country, momentum continues to grow for granting citizenship to those who are already here.
The poll shows that nearly 70 percent of Americans believe there should be a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. Generally, in the past, blanket support for a path has gone no higher than the high 50s.
However, Americans splinter on how to handle migrants who are apprehended at the southern border. According to the NewsNation poll, there’s “a near 50-50 split on questions surrounding border wall effectiveness and support for “catch-and-release” policies for women, children and families apprehended at the border.”
Meanwhile, the only other area where those polled showed wide consensus was on the question of whether undocumented men traveling alone should be released into the United States if apprehended at the border. More than 66 percent of respondents rejected the idea of such a policy being in place, according to the NewsNation poll.
“When you think about the hundreds of thousands that are coming across the border every day, Americans largely want them stopped specifically when it comes to the single adult males,” said NewsNation’s Leland Vittert, who has covered the U.S. immigration crisis extensively, even hosting his show “On Balance With Leland Vittert” from the southern border, where he saw firsthand the human trafficking that occurs there.
“These are the majority of the people coming across who are apprehended by Border Patrol,” Vittert said. “And up until a little while ago, about a year ago, when the administrations changed, they were almost universally deported or were forced to remain in Mexico while their asylum things are figured out.”
Vittert added many migrants are currently being released into the U.S. and oftentimes show up at bus stations and airports.
“So what’s interesting is you have these groups of people who both believe in walls, and that’s one of the things that we found in our polling as well, believe in walls, but believe in a pathway to citizenship. And people who believe in a pathway to citizenship, but also don’t want people released into the interior of the country, which gives you an idea. And since covering American domestic politics for a while, how different and more nuanced Americans’ views on immigration have become over the past couple of cycles.”
Watch the full interview in the media player above.
