Poll: Majority of Americans believe there is an ‘invasion’ at the southern border

A recent poll published by NPR showed a large number of United States residents have very negative views on immigrants who have entered the US illegally.

The NPR/Ipsos poll, published on August 18, showed a majority of Americans believe that the influx in migrant crossings has become an “invasion.” According to the poll, 53 percent of Americans would describe the influx of migrants at the southern border with Mexico an “invasion,” with 28 who “completely agree” and 25 who “somewhat agree.”

The results showed those who identify as Republicans believe the large number of migrants arriving at the southern border is an invasion was much higher than those who identify as Democrat or Independent. An overwhelming 76 percent of Republicans said they would describe the situation as an “invasion,” as opposed to 40 percent of Democrats and 46 percent of Independents.

Ipsos points out that while party affiliation was a strong indicator of a respondent’s feelings on immigrants, an equally vital factor appears to be the news sources consumed by the respondents.

“Republicans who cite Fox News or other conservative news sources as their main news are more likely to believe it is completely true the U.S. is experiencing an invasion at the southern border (78%) than Republicans who get their news elsewhere (41%),” wrote Mallory Newall, director of US public affairs for Ipsos. 

The poll also showed that about half of the respondents said they believe migrants are bringing fentanyl and other harmful drugs over the border and bear responsibility for the opioid crisis in the United States.

Republicans are much more likely to believe migrants are smuggling in drugs, with 70 percent saying they agree. 40 percent of Democrats and 45 percent of Independents also said they thought migrants were bringing large amounts of drugs into the US.