Washington Additional As the nation prepares for a new Republican administration in which President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to remove birthright citizenship and mass deportations of migrants, Americans believe immigration should be a primary priority for the U.S. government in 2025.
According to a December study by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, when asked to list up to five subjects they would want to see the government focus on this year, about half of American people mentioned immigration and border challenges. In an AP-NORC poll last year, roughly one-third of respondents cited the issue as a government priority.
All demographics—Republicans and Democrats, men and women, and young and elderly adults—have become more concerned about immigration. However, in recent years, Republicans in particular have united over this topic. Approximately 7 out of 10 Republicans, up from 45% two years ago, believe that immigration or a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border should be a key priority.
This indicates that Trump’s supporters and a large portion of the nation will be interested in his signature issue when he returns to the White House. That stands in stark contrast to his more hospitable stance toward migrants when he left Washington four years ago with his successor, Democrat Joe Biden.
However, despite the general increase in worry about immigration, economic concerns continue to dominate the conversation. Similar to recent years, around three-quarters of Americans want the government to concentrate on resolving general economic issues. There are a variety of economic difficulties that Americans would like to see handled; nearly one in ten stated either unemployment or taxes, three out of ten indicated general economic issues, and a comparable percentage noted inflation.
Foreign policy is regarded as a significant problem by roughly one-third of Americans, with politics and health care issues coming in second and third, respectively.
The margin of error for the 1,251 adult AP-NORC survey, which was conducted from December 5–9, is plus or minus 3.7 points.
Republicans are especially likely to want government action on immigration
Trump used immigration as a major campaign issue to retake the White House, frequently demeaning foreign-born Americans and accusing them of violent crimes, despite the fact that research has found no connection between immigration and criminal activity.
As Trump aims to drastically reduce the number of immigrants allowed in the United States, several of his immigration policies are probably going to be challenged in court. But as he gets ready to assume office, Americans still need to address those challenges.
While around seven out of ten Republicans believe that immigration or the border wall should be the government’s top priority, eight out of ten Republicans want economic issues to take precedence.
The economy is the primary concern of the majority of Democrats, but they lack a distinct second priority. Rather, roughly 4 out of 10 mention health care and health problems, which is a slight increase from a year ago. Approximately one-third of Democrats bring up immigration, the environment or climate change, or political issues.
However, even Democrats are more inclined to support government action on immigration than they were the previous year, when only roughly two out of ten Democrats said that immigration should be the federal government’s top priority.
However, that does not imply that they support Trump’s tough stance. Better routes to citizenship should be the aim, according to one Democrat, while another stated that the government should concentrate on border management rather than mass deportations. Republicans frequently mentioned illegal immigration and a stronger border as key issues in their poll replies. One Republican advocated border closure and the deportation of illegal immigrants, with criminals being deported first.
Republicans’ emphasis on immigration and the economy aligns with two of the most pressing issues Biden faced during his presidency: a rapid increase in migration and rising inflation.
Trump’s unwavering focus on border security and his pledge to deport large numbers of migrants were further fueled by the record number of illegal border crossings that occurred in 2023. Following Biden’s announcement of a crackdown on asylum requests, the numbers declined in 2024, but Trump contended that the actions were too little, too late.
Americans under 30 really want the government to prioritize inflation
The need for the government to address economic difficulties is especially strong among the younger adults.
In 2025, Americans under 30 are far more likely than older persons to see inflation, economic concerns, and personal financial matters as crucial areas for government attention. Approximately 25% of older persons name inflation, compared to 4 out of 10 young adults. Additionally, just around one in ten persons 60 years of age or older say they want the government to focus on housing expenses, compared to roughly one in four young adults.
According to AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of over 120,000 voters, Trump gained support among young adults in 2024 compared to his performance four years prior, but his youngest supporters were far more driven by the economy than by immigration.
As Trump is about to assume office, the same emotion is prevalent. The December study revealed that Americans under 30 are significantly less focused on immigration than older individuals, although they are more likely to mention general economic difficulties and immigration as topics they want the government to address than they were in 2023. Compared to over 60% of individuals 60 and older, only about one-third of adults under 30 believed immigration should be a priority.
The economy is a major concern for older Americans as well, but their priorities change slightly. For example, almost 10% of Americans over 60 want the government to prioritize Social Security in the upcoming year. Just a small percentage of Americans under 30 expressed fear about Social Security.
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