SOCIO-POLITICAL ATTITUDES OF U.S. CITIZENS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MIGRATION CRISIS OF 2022–2024

DOI 10.17721/2521-1706.2024.18.2

Artem Kosheliev,

Ph. D. (History),
 
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6713-9993
 

Abstract. This article is devoted to the attitudes of U.S. citizens toward new residents in the context of the migration crisis of 2022–2024. Understanding the socio-political views of Americans provides deeper insights into the intense confrontation between Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress, which began in late 2023 and continued into early 2024. The study aims to clarify how public sentiments changed following the surge in illegal immigration and to identify the reasons behind these changes in public perception. Therefore, the goal of the research was to determine American citizens’ attitudes toward immigration into the U.S., and to identify the causes of their concerns and changes in attitudes during the migration crisis of 2022–2024.

The scientific novelty of the research lies in the introduction and analysis of new sources on the history of the American migration crisis of 2022–2024. Based on empirical data, it has been proven that the surge in illegal immigration, rather than migration in general, led to significant shifts in public attitudes toward migrants, and subsequently, to a political crisis in the country.

The methodological foundation of the article is the principle of historicism, widely applied in contemporary historical research practices. To accomplish the research objective, a positivist approach was employed, according to which the study must be based on empirical data derived from sources. The comparative method was used in the analysis of source materials, allowing for a detailed observation of changes in public sentiments over a specific period.

Conclusions. The migration crisis of 2022–2024, which the U.S. faced, became the country’s greatest humanitarian challenge in decades. It exacerbated internal political strife due to widespread public dissatisfaction with the influx of illegal migrants. This dissatisfaction is clearly traceable through statistical data from government bodies and public opinion surveys conducted by major U.S. research centers such as Pew Research Center and Gallup. The highest percentage of citizens, since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, expressing a desire to reduce immigration levels is a clear indication of the crisis that has engulfed the country.

Key words: migration crisis, socio-political attitudes, U.S. history, immigration, illegal immigrants.

Submitted: 10.10.2024

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