Majority of Americans support sending illegal immigrants to Democrat-led cities: poll

As the volume of migrants illegally crossing the southern border into the U.S. exceeded 2 million this fiscal year, a new poll finds that most registered voters approve of the decision by some Republican governors to send illegal immigrants to Democrat-run cities, and many see it as an effective way to draw attention to the immigration issue.

The CBS/YouGov survey found that 51% of registered voters approve of sending illegal immigrants to Democratic cities, compared to 49% who disapprove. Additionally, 88% of those who approve say it is an effective way of bringing attention to the issue of illegal immigration. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., recently flew 50 illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, a famous vacation spot for the wealthy, angering many on the left. Within 48 hours of their arrival, Martha’s Vineyard called in the National Guard and swiftly relocated all 50 migrants out of the beach town. Some Democrats called the GOP governor’s move a form of “human trafficking.”

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Support for migrant busses and planes falls along partisan lines, according to the poll. Just 20% of Democrats approved of the practice, compared to 87% of Republicans who said they back the move by red state governors. Independent voters disapprove by a 4-point margin, 48% to 52%. 

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Gov. Greg Abbot, R-Texas., who is facing the crisis head on in the border state, has sent dozens of buses full of illegal migrants from Texas to Democrat-run cities like New York and Washington D.C., as the deluge of illegal migrants into his state intensifies.

Over 2 million migrants have come over the border this fiscal year, with more than 203,000 in August alone. According to Customs and Border Protection, El Paso, Texas is seeing roughly 1,500 encounters daily. 

Many of the Democrat-run cities, some of which are also so-called “sanctuary cites,” claim to have been overrun by the new arrivals. Earlier this month, Washington, D.C., Mayor, Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency after busloads of illegal immigrants arrived from Arizona and Texas. 

The CBS/YouGov poll was conducted from September 21-23, 2022 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.

Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.