New high in U.S. say immigration is most important problem

The June 3-16 poll was conducted as the U.S. continues to grapple with how to handle a surge of Central American immigrants at the U.S.-Mexican border. Gallup has previously found spikes in mentions of immigration as the most important U.S. problem at other times when the immigration debate intensified, including:

22% in July 2018 amid controversy over a U.S. policy to separate children and parents who were trying to enter the U.S. illegally

17% in July 2014, when a wave of young immigrants from Central American countries crossed the U.S. border illegally

19% in April 2006 as the Senate worked toward passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill it later passed but ultimately was not considered by the House of Representatives