After President Biden announced a sweeping executive order aimed at reducing migrant arrivals on the southern border, a majority of voters approve
Nearly two weeks after President Biden announced a sweeping executive order aimed at reducing migrant arrivals on the southern border, the latest Fox News national survey finds a majority of voters approve of restricting the number of asylum seekers entering the U.S. – and like the idea even more when Biden’s name is not attached to the plan.
In addition, Biden’s approval rating on immigration has crept up 5 points since March and now stands at the highest it has been in a year, while former President Trump’s edge on handling the issue is down, leading to a tight race between the two veteran candidates.
(Biden’s) restrictions on asylum seekers
The poll, released Thursday, features a split-sample test of support for the policy of restricting the number of migrants allowed to enter the country via asylum claims. Half of voters were asked how they feel about Biden’s executive order implementing this policy and nearly 6 in 10 (57%) approve of the action while about 4 in 10 disapprove (38%).
The other half were asked about the proposal without Biden’s name attached or mention of an executive order. In this scenario, approval jumps to 66% with just 3 in 10 (29%) disapproving. So, while voters approve of Biden’s plan by almost 20 points, support increases to 37 points when he’s not associated with it.
There are differences by party, gender, age, and race depending on how the question is asked. Men, White voters, voters ages 45 and over, and Republicans are all more likely to favor restricting the number of asylees when Biden’s name is not mentioned, while suburban women, nonwhite voters and Democrats are all more likely to favor the plan when he is attached. Voters under age 45 feel about the same whether the president is referred to or not.
The popularity of Biden’s executive action most likely gave him a boost in his immigration approval rating: 35% approve vs. 30% in March. Still, 63% disapprove of his handling of the issue for a net negative rating of 28 points.
On Biden’s overall job performance, 45% approve while 55% disapprove.
The survey uses a similar split-sample to test the effect of Trump’s name on a proposal to exempt tips from workers’ federal income taxes. Trump said he would do this if he were elected during a campaign speech on June 10 in Las Vegas. When Trump is associated with the plan, voters back it by 30 points (62% approve vs. 32% disapprove), but when his name is removed, that increases to 39 points (68% vs. 29%).
Here the partisan divide is sharp — by 10 points Democrats disapprove of the proposal when Trump’s name is mentioned, while they approve by 40 points when it isn’t.
