Majority Voices Support for Bipartisan Senate Border Bill in WSJ Poll

A recent poll by The Wall Street Journal found that a majority of U.S. voters support the Senate’s bipartisan border security bill, which failed to pass and was deemed “dead on arrival” in the House.

The survey presented participants with a description of the proposed bill, which aimed to make it tougher for migrants to obtain asylum in the U.S., increase border agents, and give the President the authority to limit migrant arrivals if immigration exceeds a certain level.

When asked if they favored or opposed the proposal based on what they had heard, 59% of voters, including similar percentages of Republicans and Democrats, expressed support for the bipartisan package, according to the Journal.

The poll also revealed that a plurality of voters attribute more blame to President Joe Biden than Republicans for border security issues. Additionally, a majority of respondents indicated support for granting a pathway to citizenship for long-term undocumented immigrants who pass a background check.

Other key findings from the poll included:

• 71% believe immigration and border security have worsened over the past year.
• 66% disapprove of President Biden’s handling of immigration.
• 66% would support measures for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
• 58% support increasing legal immigration levels.

The survey’s conductors, Democrat Michael Bocian and Republican Tony Fabrizio, stated that voters are seeking solutions to immigration issues and are open to various approaches.

The poll was carried out from Feb. 21-28, following the Senate’s failure on Feb. 7 to pass a bipartisan border security bill. The $118 billion package, which also included provisions to aid Ukraine and Israel, was rejected by a narrow vote in the Senate.

House Speaker Mike Johnson declared the bill “dead on arrival” in the House, further highlighting the divide on immigration policies between the two chambers.

Immigration emerged as a top issue for 20% of voters in the survey, surpassing topics like the economy, indicating the significance of finding effective resolutions to immigration challenges.

Reuters contributed to this story.