Nearly half in poll want illegal immigrants held in federal custody instead of released into U.S.

Just over a third prefer the release approach.

Published: March 25, 2021 11:09am

Updated: March 25, 2021 2:00pm

Nearly half of voters prefer to keep illegal immigrants in federal custody while they await hearings rather than release them into the U.S., according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen.

When asked, 46% of registered voters surveyed said they prefer "holding illegal immigrants in detention centers" if they unlawfully cross the border, while 36% said they're fine with "releasing illegal immigrants while they await hearings."

Just the News Daily Poll

(Just the News)

The Biden administration last month reinstated what critics derisively refer to as a "catch-and-release" policy for illegal immigrants. The U.S. southern border has seen a massive influx of illegal immigration following Biden's inauguration after the candidate promised a more humane immigration policy relative to former President Donald Trump's.

The survey of 1,200 registered voters was conducted by Rasmussen using a mixed-mode approach from March 18-20, 2021, and had a margin of sampling error: +/- 2.8 percentage points.

Click here to see the poll's cross-demographic tabulations.

Click here to see the poll's methodology and sample demographics.