March 2024 Statewide Poll: Immigration
Immigration emerges among top issues for Colorado voters
Six-in-10 voters surveyed say the recent influx of migrants from Central and South America is either a ‘crisis’ or a ‘major problem’
DENVER — Immigration is now one of the top-of-mind concerns for Colorado voters and more than six-in-10 view the recent influx of migrants from Central and South America as either a “crisis” (31%) or a “major problem” (31%), according to results of the Colorado Polling Institute’s latest statewide poll of likely voters.
You can view the entire questionnaire and results here and the full cross-tabs here.
At the same time, respondents value diversity, as two-thirds say people of many different races, ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds make the state stronger (including 43% who say "much stronger"). Only 8% say it makes the state weaker and 26% say it doesn't make much difference one way or the other.
The bipartisan statewide survey of 632 likely 2024 voters was conducted March 15-19 via a mix of online panel and text-to-web responses. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4%.
“Immigration emerging as a top issue among voters in Colorado follows trends we are seeing in research nationally,” said Republican pollster Lori Weigel of New Bridge Strategy. “Given the number of new arrivals in Denver, it’s not surprising to see in our survey that 66% of respondents in the Denver-metro area viewed the issue as a crisis or major problem, but even 57% elsewhere in the state said the same.”
While it’s difficult to track numbers statewide, more than 40,000 migrants have arrived in Denver since January of last year, according to city data. The city estimates the cost of helping migrants will be $120 million this year, and the Mayor's Office has proposed budget cuts elsewhere as a result.
Asked for their views on the top issues for the state government to address, 14% of Colorado voters volunteered something directly related to immigration, ranking it on par with long-time issues like homelessness (12%) and housing affordability (11%). However, it is worth noting that when taken together, pocketbook issues are still dominant (32% mention housing costs, inflation, taxes, jobs, etc.).
Voters do not necessarily agree on who is most responsible for the surge in migrants to Colorado. Asked which two are most responsible for the situation, a plurality points to the US Congress for rejecting a border bill (43%) while a similar number choose the Biden administration's border policies (41%). Many also point to the city of Denver’s migrant policies (31%) and the governor of Texas for bussing migrants to Colorado (28%).
“Voters are evenly divided about how to handle the influx, but there are massive demographic and political gaps under the surface,” said Democratic pollster Kevin Ingham of Aspect Strategic. “Notably, 80% of those who regularly attend religious services prefer turning migrants away, while 73% of those who never attend religious services favor meeting migrants with compassion.”
A bare majority (51%) prefer an approach that says local and state resources were being overwhelmed and migrants needed to be turned away. A nearly equal number (49%) say migrants are just looking for work and better lives and need to be met with compassion.
There are significant gaps in preferences about what to do about the situation, including by:
Gender: Men say “turned away” by a 15-point margin, and women say “met with compassion” by an 8-point margin.
Age: Voters older than 45 say “turned away” by a 12-point margin, and voters younger than 45 say “met with compassion” by a 9-point margin.
Education: Voters without a four-year degree say “turned away” by a 21-point margin, college-educated voters say “met with compassion” by a 12-point margin.
Race and ethnicity: Voters of color say “turned away” by a 17-point margin, white voters are evenly divided.
Political party: Republicans say “turned away” by a 78-point margin. Unaffiliated voters and Democrats say “met with compassion” by 8-point and 49-point margins, respectively.
Religious service attendance: Voters who regularly attend religious services (monthly or more) say “turned away” by a 61-point margin. Those who never attend religious services say “met with compassion” by a 45-point margin.
Length of residency: Voters who were born in Colorado or have lived here longer than 20 years say “turned away” by a 12-point margin, those who moved to the state within the last 10 years say “met with compassion” by a 20-point margin.
Voters’ views on sports issues, including Colorado athletes and sports teams, are embargoed for release on Friday, April 5. Voters' views on political and policy issues were released on April 3.
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About Us: The Colorado Polling Institute is an independent nonprofit launched in 2023 with the mission of elevating the public dialogue and promoting informed decision-making through timely, trustworthy, and nonpartisan public opinion research on the most important issues facing Coloradans.
