The Asymmetric Polarization of Immigration Opinion in the United States.

This article analyzes trends in American public opinion on immigration from 1988 to 2022, focusing on differences across partisan and racial/ethnic groups using data from the American National Election Study (ANES), Cooperative Election Study (CES), General Social Survey (GSS), and Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). It finds that while Democrats and Republicans held similarly restrictive views on immigration in the 1990s and early 2000s, Democrats' attitudes have liberalized significantly since 2016, especially among white Democrats, whereas Republican opinions have remained largely stable or become more conservative on border security. The resulting partisan polarization is evident across multiple immigration issues, including attitudes toward immigrants, immigration levels, refugee admissions, legalization for undocumented immigrants, and border control policies. Despite increased liberalization among Democrats, overall American opinion remains mixed, with substantial divisions persisting along party and racial/ethnic lines.