Poll: Majority Believe Democrats Support Open Borders

A majority of Americans believe Democrats are “for” open borders, a recent Harvard-Harris survey revealed.

The survey asked respondents, “Do you think that the Democrats are standing now for open borders or are they against open borders?”

A majority across the board, 56 percent, said they believe Democrats are “for” open borders, as opposed to 44 percent who believe Democrats are against open borders.

Democrats are relatively split on their own beliefs, as 52 percent said they are against open orders and 48 percent said they are for open borders. Most Republicans and independents — 67 percent and 53 percent, respectively — say Democrats are in favor of open borders.

The survey also found that 45 percent believe Democrats are against deporting violent criminal illegal aliens. Sixty-six percent of Republicans and 47 percent of independents agree.

The survey was taken May 29-31, 2026, among 1,725 registered voters. It has a +/- 2.4 percent margin of error.

It comes as Democrats continue to grapple with their pro-open borders reputation based on the actions they took during the Biden administration — from demonizing border enforcement actions to embracing catch and release to declaring Democrat-controlled areas “sanctuary cities.” As a result, millions of illegal aliens walk free in the U.S. interior. According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, nearly 19 million illegal migrants are living in the United States.

As Breitbart News reported:

“Since our December 2020 estimate, the illegal alien population in the United States has grown by 4.1 million, or 28.2 percent, reflecting an unprecedented wave of illegal immigration during the Biden administration,” the group reported on Wednesday.

Immigration stood as one of the key policies President Trump ran on in the 2024 presidential race, signing a presidential action on day one designed to protect the American people from “invasion.”

“This order ensures that the Federal Government protects the American people by faithfully executing the immigration laws of the United States,” the January 20 presidential action reads, continuing:

It is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people. Further, it is the policy of the United States to achieve the total and efficient enforcement of those laws, including through lawful incentives and detention capabilities.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is among the latest to criticize Democrats for choosing open borders over the American people, noting that they voted against the Secure America Act.

“Today, Democrats proved once again with their voices and with their votes that they want open borders and that they are willing to vote to defund the police,” he said during his remarks.

“When I spoke on the House floor earlier today for the bill, I mentioned, sadly, the many, many victims who have been murdered by people who came here illegally that our Border Patrol agents are trying to stop from coming into our country and trying to find and get out of our country so they can’t kill more Americans,” he added. “And yet every Democrat voted ‘no’ because they want to defund those very law enforcement officers. It’s disgraceful, but it’s telling to the American people who want safe communities and deserve safe streets.”