Why Hostility to Immigration Runs So Deep
Much of the antipathy is misplaced, but that doesn’t make it easier to counter.
Not much more to say.
Photographer: Kevin Sullivan/Orange County Re/MediaNews Group/Getty ImagesPublic opinion about immigration is hard to understand. Americans express more favorable views toward immigration since Donald Trump was elected president:
But these poll numbers come with several caveats. First, the surge in support for immigration might simply be a reaction to the xenophobia of the Trump administration and could fade after he leaves office. Second, the polls say little about the salience of the issue to the two sides; opponents of immigration might be more motivated than advocates, and thus fight harder. Finally, it’s worth noting that even now, those who support decreasing immigration outnumber those who back increasing it. And this data is just for the U.S.; other countries may be going in the opposite direction.