WATCH: Gov. Kim Reynolds talks illegal reentry into Iowa, immigration
Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks on the issue of immigration and illegal reentry into the state on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at the Iowa State Capitol.
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With less than two months before the presidential election, 60% of Iowans view securing the border as “critical,” according to a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll.
Border security tops a list of five immigration-related policies tested in the new Iowa Poll, which asked Iowans whether each one was “critical,” “important but not critical” or “not that important” to them.
Only 11 percent of Iowans say securing the border is not important to them — the lowest percentage among the five policies tested. Twenty-nine percent say it is important but not critical.
Forty-three percent of Iowans deem it “critical” to protect from deportation children brought to the U.S. illegally — known as “Dreamers.”
It was followed closely by creating a pathway to citizenship for all immigrants already in the country, with 42% of Iowans saying it is critical. Mass deportation of undocumented immigrants is viewed as critical by 40% of Iowans.
Ending birthright citizenship to all babies born on U.S. soil, which former President Donald Trump has vowed to do if re-elected, is seen as critical by 26% of Iowans, with 33% saying the issue is important but not critical. Thirty-nine percent say it is not that important, the highest rate among the five issues.
The Iowa Poll, conducted by Selzer & Co., surveyed 811 Iowans from Sept. 8-11. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
The poll’s new findings highlight deep divides along party lines on immigration issues.
Immigration has remained at the forefront of issues for voters leading up to the Nov. 5 election as Trump hammers Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris on the Biden administration’s handling of a record number of border encounters with migrants.
Most Republicans say securing the border, mass deportation of undocumented immigrants are critical issues
A whopping 90% of Republicans deem it critical to secure the border, and 9% say it is important. Just 1% say it is not important.
By comparison, 27% of Democrats say the issue is critical. More than half (55%) say the issue is important, while 18% say the issue is not important.
Among independents, a majority (59%) say the issue is critical and 26% say it’s important. Fourteen percent say it’s not important.
Poll respondent Lucas Rocksvold, 44, said he is an independent but currently a registered Republican who plans to vote for Trump, though he is “not 100 percent” decided.
Rocksvold, a Decorah resident who works in construction and as a part-time cook, said securing the border is critical because the influx of illegal drugs coming into the U.S. from the southern border is “killing a lot of people.”
While U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported overall drug seizures have fallen from 2021 to 2023, seizures of fentanyl — a potent, highly addictive synthetic opioid that can be fatal even in small doses — have risen. In 2021, CBP reported seizing 11,200 pounds of fentanyl, but that spiked to 27,000 pounds seized in 2023.
Federal officials say most illegal drugs are being smuggled through legal border crossing sites.
“That would save a lot of lives, in my opinion, if we could get that locked down,” Rocksvold said.
Troy Van Maaren, 55, a poll respondent from Kelley who is self-employed in construction and a registered Republican, considers securing the border critical because he believes millions of immigrants have been allowed to enter the country illegally and the U.S. has “no idea how to keep track of them.”
He’s also among the 61% of Republicans who consider mass deportation of undocumented immigrants critical — another campaign promise Trump has made. Thirty-three percent of Republicans say it’s important but not critical, while just 6% say it’s not important.
That’s compared with about a quarter of Democrats (24%) who consider mass deportation critical. Twenty-six percent say it’s important but not critical; 47% deem it not important; and 3% are not sure.
Thirty-six percent of independents say mass deportation is critical. Thirty-three percent say it is important; 28% consider it not important; and 3% are not sure.
Van Maaren said he also considers mass deportation critical because it takes legal immigrants several years to get into the country, so he doesn’t think those entering the U.S. illegally should not be able to jump ahead.
“They broke the law to get here, and they should be deported,” Van Maaren said. “Legal immigration is available to those who apply.”
Majority of Democrats consider it critical to create pathways to citizenship, protect Dreamers
A majority of Democrats (63%) say it is critical to create a pathway to citizenship for all immigrants already in the U.S., while 34% deem it important. Just 2% consider it not important and 1% are not sure.
That drastically differs from Republicans, who are more divided. Thirty-one percent say it is critical, 36% deem it important; 32% consider it not important; and 1% are not sure.
Independents are similarly split, with 37% who say a pathway to citizenship is critical; 44% who say it’s important; 17% who deem it not important; and 2% who are not sure.
Rocksvold said he considered creating pathways to citizenship important because he sees immigrants every day, and most of them are good people.
“If they’re willing to come here and not break the rules, I see no reason why not,” Rocksvold said.
Nevaeh Moss, a 19-year-old poll respondent from West Des Moines and registered Democrat who plans to vote for Harris, said creating pathways to citizenship is critical.
Moss, who works as a call center representative, said her father came to the U.S. from Mexico in 2001 but still is in the U.S. on a visa after fighting for years to get citizenship. She said she has watched her dad’s efforts stall every time there’s a change in presidential administrations.
“If somebody comes from Mexico or any country and they’re doing it the correct way — they’re trying to become legal, they’re working, they’re paying their dues, they’re not causing trouble, — we need to have a better pathway for them to get that,” Moss said.
Poll respondent Jordan Bresette, a 43-year-old mail carrier from Logan, is a registered Democrat who also deems it critical to create pathways to citizenship.
Bresette is also among the 64% of Democrats who say it is critical to protect Dreamers from deportation. Thirty-two percent of Democrats deem it important but not critical; 3% consider it not important; and 2% are not sure.
By comparison, 30% of Republicans say it’s critical and 46% say it’s important but not critical, while 22% deem it not important, and 2% are not sure.
Among independents, 38% say it’s critical, 46% consider it important but not critical and 13% deem it not important, with 3% not sure.
Bresette said he disagrees with the characterization of immigrants from some in the Republican Party, pointing to the false comments Trump made about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, during the recent presidential debate.
“I mean, there could be 100 white people that have done mass shootings in the last six months, but there’s one issue with an immigrant, and they exploit that to help their campaign,” he said. “Crime is every nationality, and we have plenty of Americans causing crime nonstop.”
Ending birthright citizenship critical to fewest Iowans
There’s little partisan variation among Iowans considering it critical to end birthright citizenship to all babies born on U.S. soil, with 31% of Republicans and 29% of Democrats who say the issue is critical. Nineteen percent of independents agree.
A constitutional amendment would be required to change birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed in the 14th Amendment.
Thirty-seven percent of Republicans view the policy as important but not critical, as do 25% of Democrats and 35% of independents.
Forty-three percent of Democrats and independents each say it is not important, compared with 28% of Republicans.
Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @marissajpayne.
Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at mramm@registermedia.com, at (319) 339-7354 or on Twitter at @Michaela_Ramm.
About the Iowa Poll
The Iowa Poll, conducted Sept. 8-11, 2024, for The Des Moines Register and Mediacom by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, is based on telephone interviews with 811 Iowans ages 18 or older. Interviewers with Quantel Research contacted households with randomly selected landline and cell phone numbers supplied by Dynata. Interviews were administered in English. Responses were adjusted by age, sex and congressional district to reflect the general population based on recent American Community Survey estimates.
Questions based on the sample of 811 Iowa adults have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. This means that if this survey were repeated using the same questions and the same methodology, 19 times out of 20, the findings would not vary from the true population value by more than plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. Results based on smaller samples of respondents—such as by gender or age—have a larger margin of error.
Republishing the copyright Iowa Poll without credit and, on digital platforms, links to originating content on The Des Moines Register and Mediacom is prohibited.
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Publish date : 2024-09-19 23:03:00
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