Poll on immigration clashes with political narratives as 2024 campaign rhetoric heats up

A poll by Florida Atlantic University and Mainstreet Research found some surprising viewpoints on the hot topic of immigration and border security in America.

Namely, a majority of respondents in the poll released in February revealed they liked the immigrant living next door, but were split on foreigners' contributions to "American culture." And while states like Florida and Texas are taking border enforcement measures into their own hands, the survey showed a citizenry not "trusting" state officials to act on immigration, and somewhat leery about federal authorities, too.

The results reveal more complex views at a time when immigration is surging as, arguably, the dominant topic of the 2024 presidential election. Last week, U.S. officials updated their tally of the number of unauthorized people who have entered the country under the Biden administration to 7.3 million, a figure greater than many U.S. states.