皮尤-大多数美国人对政府处理美墨边境局势持批评态度（英文）-2021.4-25页_970kb

Summary of Pew Research Center Report: Public Opinion on U.S.-Mexico Border Situation (May 2021)

Core Content

The Pew Research Center report from May 2021 highlights the general public's views on the U.S. government's handling of the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. It emphasizes the increasing concern over illegal immigration, the declining support for allowing undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S., and the wide partisan and demographic differences in opinions.

Main Findings

• Public Disapproval of Government Handling:
  About 68% of U.S. adults believe the government is doing a very (33%) or somewhat (35%) bad job of dealing with the increased number of asylum seekers at the southern border. Only 29% think the government is doing a good job.

• Partisan Differences in Evaluation:

  • 86% of Republicans and 56% of Democrats rate the government's performance negatively.
  • Republicans are more critical of the government's handling of the border issue compared to Democrats, though both parties express dissatisfaction.

• Public Priorities for Border Policy:

  • A large majority (over 70%) of both Republicans and Democrats believe it is important to increase staff and resources for border patrol and to quickly process unaccompanied minors.
  • 47% of Americans think it is very important to reduce the number of asylum seekers, while 32% think it is somewhat important.
  • 79% of Democrats support increasing aid to Central American countries, while only 40% of Republicans agree.

• Opinions on Legal Status for Undocumented Immigrants:

  • 69% of U.S. adults support allowing undocumented immigrants to stay in the country legally if they meet certain requirements.
  • 48% of Republicans say undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay, while 51% say they should not.
  • 86% of Democrats support allowing undocumented immigrants to stay if requirements are met, with 79% of liberal Democrats and 48% of conservative/moderate Democrats expressing support for a path to citizenship.

• Demographic and Age Differences:

  • Hispanic adults are more likely than other racial/ethnic groups to support a legal path for undocumented immigrants (84%).
  • Younger Republicans (under 35) are more likely to support allowing undocumented immigrants to stay than older Republicans.
  • White and Asian adults are less likely than Black and Hispanic adults to support a legal path for undocumented immigrants.

• Citizenship Eligibility Views:

  • 42% of the public believe undocumented immigrants who meet requirements should be eligible for U.S. citizenship.
  • 26% support permanent residency but not citizenship.
  • 30% believe undocumented immigrants should not be allowed to stay in the U.S. legally.

• Deportation Support:

  • 27% of the public support a national effort to deport undocumented immigrants.
  • 46% of Republicans support such an effort, compared to 7% of Democrats.

• Concern Over Illegal Immigration:

  • The share of Americans who consider illegal immigration a "very big" problem has increased from 28% in 2020 to 48% in 2021.
  • 72% of Republicans and 29% of Democrats now say illegal immigration is a very big problem.

• Partisan Gaps in Border Policy Priorities:

  • Republicans are more likely than Democrats to prioritize reducing asylum seekers and making it harder to grant asylum.
  • Democrats are more likely than Republicans to support assistance to Central American countries and safe and sanitary conditions for asylum seekers.

Key Information

• Survey Methodology:

  • Conducted on April 5–11, 2021, with 5,109 U.S. adults surveyed through the American Trends Panel (ATP).
  • The sample is nationally representative and weighted for demographics.
  • Response rate was 86%, with a margin of error of ±2.1 percentage points.

• Partisan Trends:

  • Republican support for a legal path for undocumented immigrants has declined from 77% in 2017 to 69% in 2021.
  • The share of Republicans who believe the government is doing a good job at the border has also declined, from 33% in 2019 to 13% in 2021.

• Comparisons to Previous Years:

  • Public concern over illegal immigration has increased since 2020, similar to levels seen in 2019.
  • The partisan gap in views of the government's performance has widened, with Republicans more critical than Democrats.

• Latinos' Views:

  • A separate survey of Latinos in the U.S. found that 36% believe the government is doing a very or somewhat good job at the border, compared to 68% of the general public.

Conclusion

The report underscores a polarized public opinion on U.S. border policy, with Republicans generally more critical of the government's handling and more opposed to legal pathways for undocumented immigrants, while Democrats are more supportive of both legal status and aid to Central American countries. There is broad agreement on the need to increase border patrol resources and process unaccompanied minors quickly, though significant differences remain in how the U.S. should address the root causes of migration.