New Exit Poll Reveals No Mandate to Institute Radical Agenda on Immigration for Biden-Harris, Says FAIR

News provided by

Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)

Nov 16, 2020, 11:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Exit polling conducted by Zogby Analytics on behalf of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) finds that voters strongly favor continued border restrictions and tight limits on admission of foreign guest workers during the ongoing health and economic crisis. The poll also reveals that majorities of all voters – Democrats, Republicans and Independents – believe that longer-term, overall levels of immigration should be reduced to prevent excessive U.S. population growth.

"The election results clearly do not indicate that President-elect Biden has a mandate to institute radical immigration policies being promoted by his party's far left wing that include erasing borders and flooding the country with millions of new legal and illegal immigrants," said Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "Mr. Biden has a mandate from the voters to get the COVID-19 crisis under control, get millions of laid-off Americans back to work, and restore civility to Washington and the public square. While unchecked immigration may be a high priority for a loud and radical fringe of his party, it is not how the vast majority of voters believe the new administration should be spending their time and political capital."

The poll found that a super majority of Republicans, 76 percent, along with a majority of both Democrats and Independents support long-term reductions in immigration, the key factor that fuels population growth and limits economic opportunities for Americans. This sentiment was echoed strongly by both White and Hispanic voters, as well as working age Americans ranging in ages from 18 to 69.

"With tens of millions of Americans still out of work from the COVID-19 shutdown and the nation bracing for yet another wave of the pandemic, now is certainly not the time to increase immigration or relax border security," said Stein.

A super majority of all voters – nearly 83 percent – agree that cross-border traffic and the admission of international travelers is key to slowing the spread of COVID-19. This sentiment was echoed by Americans of all political leanings and all ethnic groups.

The issue of jobs is clearly on the minds of the American public, with strong majorities of Independents, Democrats and Republicans supporting the limiting of admissions of new immigrants and guest workers while COVID-19 related unemployment remains high.

Majorities of Blacks, Whites and Hispanics, along with Americans of all political stripes, support continuing to limit immigration and foreign guest workers in order to protect American jobs after the COVID-19 crisis ends.

"If there's a mandate for the Biden-Harris ticket, it's a mandate to end the nation's public health crisis and put the nation's workers back to work," said Stein. "It's not a mandate to radically change immigration and border enforcement policies that are clearly working," he said.

"Additionally, the polling results deliver an important message to the Republican Party as it enters a period of deep introspection. While voters may have rejected President Trump for a variety of reasons, his immigration positions enjoy near universal support from the Republican base and even significant numbers of Democrats and Independents. Standing firm against policy agendas of the radical left, like mass amnesty and open borders, is one of the reasons Republicans did better than expected in down ballot races this year, and will likely to be an important factor in 2022 when control of the Senate, a newly reapportioned House, and many state legislatures are up for grabs," Stein concluded.

Click here for crosstabs and frequencies.

Contact: Matthew Tragesser, 202-328-7004 or [email protected]

ABOUT FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)