Only 44% of Americans approve of the work President Biden is doing at border security, with 55% saying they disapprove, according to a survey by the Associated Press-NORC Public Affairs Research Center released Monday. And on the issue of immigration, Biden has 42% approval and 56% disapproval.
And only a quarter approve of how the president is dealing with the crisis involving unaccompanied children stranded on the United States’ border with Mexico.
INCREASE IN CUSTOMS PROTECTION AND BORDER PROTECTION WHILE PASSING THIS YEAR OF MINORS NOT ACCOMPANIED
Even so, Biden’s overall approval rating is 61% in the new national poll, with 38% disapproving his performance to date as president.
The flow of migrants crossing the country’s southern border with Mexico has increased since Biden’s inauguration on January 20. Republicans have repeatedly criticized the president on the issue, blaming him for what the White House refuses to call a “crisis”.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is on track to have found more than 171,000 migrants in March alone, two sources familiar with CBP’s internal data told Fox News – a dramatic increase from last year’s numbers and the last sign that the crisis on the south border is not easing. The number, based on preliminary and not yet finalized data, would mark a sharp increase in the numbers of the already high 100,441 migrants found in February – and the approximately 34,000 migrants found in March last year.
FOX NEWS GET PHOTOS OF TWO SAVED GIRLS AFTER FALLING THE BORDER
According to the poll, almost 9 out of 10 Republicans disapprove of the way the president is dealing with border security and immigration, with more than 6 out of 10 independents giving Biden a negative on both issues. Nearly three-quarters of Democrats say they approve of the president’s handling of both issues.
Four out of ten respondents to the survey say they disapprove of how Biden is dealing with the increase in unaccompanied children seized on the country’s southern border, with 24% approving and 35% saying they do not approve or disapprove. CBP is projecting that up to 184,000 unaccompanied children could reach the border in fiscal year 2021, according to sources.
The survey highlights that most Americans think that bringing together parents and children who have been separated at the border and providing safe treatment for these unaccompanied children should be a high priority for the federal government. Just over half (53%) say that increasing security at the United States’ border with Mexico should be a key concern for Biden’s immigration agenda. Other immigration issues – including deportation, guest worker visas and providing a path to citizenship – are less important.
CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION TO FIND MORE THAN 171,000 MIGRANTS IN MARCH
“Most Democrats say that bringing together children and parents, providing safe treatment to unaccompanied minors at the border and finding a way to grant legal status to immigrants who were brought into this country illegally as children should be a high priority for the federal government,” stated the pollsters write. “Most Republicans think that increasing border security, preventing people from expiring their visas and deporting undocumented immigrants should be given high priority by Washington.”
Although Biden’s numbers on border security and immigration are well submerged, he has 73% approval and 26% disapproval in his treatment of the coronavirus pandemic, 62% -36% in health, 60% -43% in the economy and 55% -43% in foreign policy. The president has 48% -50% on how to deal with the federal budget and 45% -52% on arms policy.
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The AP / NORC survey was conducted from March 25 to 29, with 1,166 adults questioned across the country. The general sampling error for the survey is plus or 3.6 percentage points.
Adam Shaw and Griff Jenkins of Fox News contributed to this report