Majority of Americans now support deporting migrants who test positive for COVID during Biden's border crisis, poll finds
Nearly two-thirds of Americans support sending away migrants who test positive for Covid-19, a new survey found.
About 72% of Americans surveyed by Echelon Insights either strongly or somewhat support deporting those apprehended at the southern border who test positive for Covid-19. Only 17% oppose doing so.
Customs and Border Patrol is not testing all migrants they apprehend at the southern border, as border patrol agents say that doing so would only slow down processing even more. Cities, counties and NGOs are leading testing efforts for adults released by Border Patrol.
Unaccompanied children transferred to Health and Human Services and adults transferred to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement are tested and quarantined by the government.
Migrants arrive to El Ceibo, Guatemala, on August 19, 2021, after being deported from the US and Mexico. Border Patrol agents are grappling with a record number of crossings that DHS Sec. Mayorkas has privately called 'unsustainable'
About 72% of Americans surveyed by Echelon Insights either strongly or somewhat support deporting those apprehended at the southern border who test positive for Covid-19.
Migrants are seen in a shelter in El Ceibo, Guatemala on August 18, 2021, after being deported from the US and Mexico. - Dozens of migrants, mostly Central Americans, who arrived in the United States in search of shelter and employment but were expelled to Mexico, are forced to head to Guatemala
At the same time, only 41% of respondents approved of Biden's handling of the southern border and 52% disapproved.
The report, conductioned by Echelon Insights and commissioned by Washington Examiner, surveyed 1,016 registered voters from Aug. 13-18. Republicans made up 36% of respondents and Democrats made up 45%.
In other Covid prevention measures, 67% of respondents supported requiring masks in schools for children and 27% were against doing so, and 64% supported requiring everyone to wear masks indoors in public.
The pandemic continues to weigh heavily on public consciousness, where 23% said coronavirus was the most important issue facing the country today, making it the top pick, and 16% picked jobs and the economy and 11% picked immigration.
Of the Republicans who were surveyed, 23% said that if Trump did not run again in 2024, they would vote for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and 23% said former Vice President Mike Pence. DSen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, scored favor with 9% and Donald Trump Jr., 5%.
The Biden administration has undid most Trump-era migration policies, but has kept in place Title 42, one of Trump's most limiting measures which allows US authorities to expel migrants caught crossing the southern border back to Mexico due to coronavirus health concerns.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that CBP encountered more than 212,000 migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border in July.
'Allow me to share with you the CBP enforcement numbers for July – 212,672 persons were encountered attempting entry along the southwest border, a 13 per cent increase over June 2021.'
From January to May, 711,784 migrants were encountered by Customs and Border Protection at the southern border – five times the amount during the same period in 2020 – and the Biden administration encountered a staggering 1 million by the end of July.
Mayorkas admitted in leaked audio last week that the migrant crisis is 'unsustainable.'
Last week, a federal judge ruled that Biden must reinstate Trump's 'Remain in Mexico' policy, or the Migrant Protection Protocols, where those seeking asylum at the border are required to wait in Mexico until their hearing. The Biden administration appealed the order, and its appeal was rejected by a circuit court, and they've now asked the Supreme Court to weigh in.