The recently released Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll reveals a shift in the political concerns of voters in the United States.

A new fact was the prominence that voters attributed to the issue of immigration, as it appeared to the majority of respondents as one of the main current concerns compared to inflation. The poll was conducted online in the United States on Jan. 17-18 among 2,346 voters registered by The Harris Poll and HarrisX.

The study revealed that 35% of respondents consider immigration to be their top concern, while inflation came in second, being cited by 32% of respondents. This change is significant, with immigration up 7 percentage points from the previous survey. The impact of political debates on the subject on the U.S. electoral situation may be directly related to this result.

In addition, the poll highlights other issues that voters are concerned about, such as the economy and jobs (25 percent), crime and drugs, and health care (16 percent each), deficit and  national security (14 percent each), and corruption and the environment (13 percent each).

While inflation is the top personal concern for the majority of respondents, with 38% saying they are directly affected by it, immigration is still mentioned by 17% in this context. This personal spotlight on inflation may be the result of the slowdown in this issue, which decreased from 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.4% in December of the same year, according to a report by The Hill.

Immigration, meanwhile, has become a central issue in criticism of President Biden's administration, especially among Republicans. The poll indicates that Biden's approval remains at 42% despite slowing inflation. Republicans keep immigration in the spotlight, portraying it as a crisis, while the Biden administration accepts the hit-or-fail metric established by Republicans: the number of monthly immigrant arrivals at the border.

The Hill’s publication highlights that while border arrival numbers have remained elevated during Biden's presidency, they have also remained relatively stable since fiscal year 2022. However, public perception of the severity of the situation at the border has increased, with 64% of respondents believing conditions are worsening.

The poll also reveals partisan divisions over immigration. A majority of respondents (68 percent) believe that illegal entry into the United States should be more difficult, while 32 percent prefer to maintain current border policies. That view is widely supported by Republicans and independents, but Democrats are divided.

The poll results are considered relevant to bipartisan Senate negotiators who are working on a deal on border policy. These results indicate that a majority of voters, especially Republicans and independents, favor stricter border enforcement.