Rasmussen Poll: Majority Agree ‘Illegal’ Is Appropriate Term

March 20, 2024 TruthUSA

President Joe Biden has expressed regret for using the term “illegal” to refer to an undocumented person accused of murdering Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student.

“I shouldn’t have used illegal, it’s undocumented,” he told MSBNC’s Jonathan Capehart.

Many Democrats and immigration advocates have disapproved of the term “illegal,” arguing that it dehumanizes immigrants, as reported by Politico. There was swift backlash against Biden’s use of the term “illegal” in his State of the Union address.

According to the latest Rasmussen Reports national survey, 35% of likely U.S. voters believe “illegal alien” is the most appropriate term for foreigners who cross the U.S. border in violation of immigration laws, while 27% prefer “illegal immigrant.” “Undocumented migrant” was favored by 20%, and 12% chose “asylum seeker.”

Twice as many Republican respondents as Democrats support using the term “illegal.”

Among Republicans, 80% prefer “illegal alien” or “illegal immigrant” as the correct term, while 44% of Democrats and 60% of unaffiliated voters agree.

Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely to choose “undocumented migrant” (28%) as the appropriate term, while only 9% of Republicans and 21% of unaffiliated voters selected this option. Just 17% of Democrats, 7% of Republicans, and 10% of unaffiliated voters preferred the term “asylum seekers.”

More men (67%) than women (56%) believe either “illegal alien” or “illegal immigrant” is the proper terminology for foreigners who violate U.S. immigration laws by crossing the border.

Regarding racial breakdowns, 62% of white respondents, 55% of black respondents, and 64% of other minorities feel either “illegal alien” or “illegal immigrant” is the accurate term for those who break U.S. laws by crossing the border.

Jose Ibarra, an undocumented Venezuelan, is facing multiple murder and assault charges in connection with the murder of Laken Riley.

Ibarra was apprehended by the Border Patrol on Sept. 8, 2022, after entering from Mexico near El Paso, Texas. He was released for further processing, as reported by ICE and CBS News.

ICE revealed that Ibarra was arrested by New York police on Aug. 31, 2023, for acts of injuring a child under 17 and a motor vehicle license violation. However, Ibarra was released before ICE could request New York officials to hold him for immigration authorities, according to CBS.

Two-thirds of likely voters express concerns that illegal immigration may contribute to violent crime in the United States, with 46% saying they are very concerned. However, 31% say they are not worried about this issue.

Republicans (84%), as well as 51% of Democrats and 65% of unaffiliated voters, indicated some level of concern about the potential relationship between illegal immigration and violent crime.

A majority of respondents from all racial backgrounds — 64% of whites, 73% of blacks, and 70% of other minorities — expressed at least some concern about the impact of illegal immigration on violent crime.

Despite the contentious debate, researchers have found that undocumented immigrants have lower rates of violent crime compared to U.S. citizens, as noted by CBS News.

A large majority of Republicans (76%) believe that illegal immigration makes the United States a worse country, while 38% of Democrats and 56% of unaffiliated voters share this view. In contrast, 22% of Democrats, 8% of Republicans, and 10% of unaffiliated voters believe illegal immigration has a positive impact.

Politico highlighted that despite efforts to portray Biden as tough on immigration, voter polls show low approval ratings on the issue.

The survey, conducted by Rasmussen Reports on March 13-14 and 17 with 1,149 likely U.S. voters, has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points and a 95% level of confidence. Field work for Rasmussen Reports surveys is carried out by Pulse Opinion Research.