The economy has always been the top issue at the ballot box for 65-year-old Garfield Cousins. But this year Cousins, an independent voter in an Atlanta suburb, said the sustained surge of migrants at the southern border will for the first time drive his decision in a presidential election.
While illegal border crossings have repeatedly set records over the past few years, polls show a more recent sharp increase in the number of voters, like Cousins, who rank immigration as their top concern—even above the economy and inflation. Voters say they worry the migrant influx is affecting other aspects of life—from crime and fentanyl to national security and government spending—as Washington has been unable to resolve the problem.
“Although the economy is important, I see this also has an impact on the economy,” Cousins said, adding that taxpayers’ financial outlook is affected when cities make budget cuts to deal with the housing, food and healthcare costs associated with the influx of migrants.
A Wall Street Journal national poll conducted in late February found that 20% of voters now rank immigration as their top issue, up from 13% in December. In the same poll, 65% of voters said they disapproved of President Biden’s handling of border security, and 71% said developments in immigration and border security are headed in the wrong direction.
Read more at Wallstreetjournal.com
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