Nearly half of California Democrats believe the southern border will be unsafe under the Biden administration, according to a Berkeley Institute of Government poll released Wednesday.
About 44% of registered California Democrats don't feel safe at the southern border, compared to another 44% who say it is. according to Berkeley IGS poll. Additionally, 21% of California Democrats view illegal immigration in their state as a “major burden,” while 41% view it as a “minor burden.” (Related: 'More to come': DCNF reporter says more illegal immigrants will flock to California over taxpayer-funded health care costs)
“These findings demonstrate that immigration is not clear-cut even in California, whose reputation as a sanctuary state often influences discussion of this issue,” IGS co-director G. Christina Mora said in a statement Wednesday. ” “These rifts appear to reflect widespread dissatisfaction with the Biden administration.”
What's new: Mayor of El Cajon, California calls for reversal of state's decision to provide health care to illegal immigrants
“Instead of focusing on the needs of our tax-paying citizens, we are putting illegal immigrants at the forefront by providing them with free health care.” pic.twitter.com/EearR4sA1m
— Jennie Taer🇮🇱🇺🇸 (@JennieSTaer) January 1, 2024
According to a Berkeley IGS poll, 62% of California registered voters think the border is unsafe, compared to 30% who think so. Forty-two percent of all voters agree that illegal immigration is a major burden on the nation, while the remaining 30% view illegal immigration as a minor burden.
As of 2021, approximately 5% of California's total population (approximately 1.8 million people) are undocumented immigrants, ranking it higher than any other state in this category. according to To Axios and Pew Research Center. 300,000 illegal immigrants will cross southern border into California in 2023 alone, ABC News report.
The state spends approximately $25.3 billion annually in taxes on services provided to or related to illegal immigration. according to to the Federation for American Immigration Reform. Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his administration recently expanded the state's version of Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal, to provide coverage to more than 700,000 undocumented immigrants.
Overall, illegal immigration has skyrocketed under the Biden administration. More than 2.2 million immigrants were apprehended at the southern border in 2022, compared to about 1.6 million in 2021. according to Customs and Border Protection data.
The Berkeley IGS poll was conducted from January 4th to 8th among a random sample of 8,199 registered voters in California. The margin of error was ±1.5 percent.
Mr. Newsom's office and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.
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