Despite high inflation, that’s no longer Americans’ primary concern, according to a new Harvard CAPS-Harris survey released Monday.
At 35 percent, immigration has bumped economic concerns out of the top spot, a 7-point increase since December, the poll found. A majority of Americans, 68 percent, said the Biden administration should make it more challenging to illegally cross the border, including a majority of Democrats. And a majority, 77 percent, also want President Biden to strike a deal with Republicans to boost security at the border.
President Biden’s approval rating in the online survey of 2,346 registered voters, which was conducted Jan. 17-18, stood at 42 percent.
"For all the talk of international crises, Americans are focused on America and themselves first," said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll. "They are very concerned about immigration, inflation and crime and that's why many of them are saying they want a new president."
Illegal immigrant encounters at the southern border hit historic levels last month, with border officials documenting over 302,000 migrants trying to cross—the highest number ever recorded for a single month.
The House Homeland Security Committee will vote Jan. 30 on impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“Over the last year, the House Committee on Homeland Security conducted a comprehensive investigation into the causes, costs, and consequences of the unprecedented crisis at America’s borders, holding 10 hearings, publishing six reports totaling roughly 400 pages, and conducting extensive interviews with chief patrol agents for the U.S. Border Patrol,” Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) said in a statement. “Our thorough and fair investigation exposed Secretary Mayorkas’ abuse of power and refusal to comply with the law. In November, 201 Democrats voted to refer articles of impeachment against the secretary to our Committee and, having completed impeachment hearings earlier this month, we plan to mark up those articles next week."
Green added: “In the Committee’s impeachment hearings, members received testimony from top legal officials that detailed how Secretary Mayorkas has failed to uphold his oath of office, how his actions and decisions rise to the level of impeachable offenses, and how his misconduct is costing states across the country. We also heard from Americans grieving the consequences of Secretary Mayorkas’ refusal to comply with the law and his abuse of power, which has cost American families countless innocent lives. This Committee has conducted extensive oversight and passed historic legislation to secure the border. However, the final remedy for dealing directly with Secretary Mayorkas’ willful and systemic disregard for the rule of law is impeachment. After three years of this crisis and a year of investigations and proceedings, we must move forward with accountability.”
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