Americans increasingly see the United States as a country that has lost some of its openness to immigrants.

A new AP-NORC poll indicates that about six in 10 adults say the US used to be a great place for immigrants but no longer is, a striking measure of how deeply the national mood has shifted. The findings land as Donald Trump’s immigration-enforcement agenda continues to shape public debate and daily headlines, pushing questions of identity, borders, and belonging back to the center of American politics.

Key Facts

  • An AP-NORC survey found about six in 10 respondents say the US used to be a great place for immigrants but no longer is.
  • The poll points to a growing sense that the country feels less welcoming to outsiders.
  • The shift comes amid Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration-enforcement agenda.
  • The findings reflect broader public unease over the direction of US immigration policy.

The result does more than capture opinion on immigration. It signals a broader anxiety about what kind of nation the US wants to be. For decades, the country sold itself, at home and abroad, as a place where newcomers could build lives and communities. Now, reports indicate that many Americans believe that image has weakened, or at least grown far more contested.

About six in 10 respondents say the US used to be a great place for immigrants, but no longer is.

The survey also underscores how enforcement policy can reshape public perception beyond the border itself. Aggressive crackdowns, high-profile raids, and sharp political rhetoric do not only affect immigrants directly; they also influence how the wider public judges the country’s values. Sources suggest that for many respondents, the issue is no longer just who gets in, but what the national posture says about America itself.

That makes the next phase of the immigration debate especially consequential. Policymakers will keep fighting over enforcement, access, and executive power, but the larger contest now centers on the country’s identity. If public confidence in the US as a welcoming place keeps eroding, that shift could outlast any single administration and redefine how Americans understand their nation’s promise.