A scale and gavel
Border security was one of the top issues that brought people to the polls in November, but when it comes to mass deportations — a promise made by President-elect Donald Trump — support depends largely on who would be deported.
University of Arizona Political Science Professor Samara Klar has done polling on how Arizonans feel about mass-deportation of people who came into the country unauthorized, and she says there is overwhelming bipartisan support for a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who arrived here when they were kids.
“When it comes to this issue that Republicans have made a big deal of, of immigrants with criminal backgrounds, and immigrants who engage in criminal activity, that's where you start to see more support for deportation," she said.
Numerous studies show crime rates in migrant communities are relatively low compared to native-born citizens. In fiscal year 2024, Border Patrol apprehended 17,000 undocumented immigrants with a criminal record, which amounts to less than .6% of apprehensions.
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