A newly released poll finds an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers believe the recent influx of migrants is a serious problem. About two-thirds of respondents believe the state has done enough for migrants and should be working to reduce the flow coming into the city. The percentage of people hoping the sanctuary city will continue to take in more migrants has dropped to less than a third.

“While other issues in Washington and abroad have largely driven the news cycle over the last few weeks, the influx of migrants to New York remains top of mind for voters, with 84% saying it’s a serious – 57% very serious – problem for the state,” Greenberg said. “Seldom do we see an issue where at least 79% of Democrats, Republicans, independents, men, women, upstaters, downstaters, Blacks, whites, Latinos, Catholics, Jews, and Protestants all agree – that the migrant influx is a serious problem.

“The strong majority of voters last month who said by 22 points that New Yorkers must work to slow the flow of migrants rather than accept and assimilate them, has grown to an overwhelming 35-point majority today,” Greenberg said. “That view is shared by 82% of Republicans, 68% of independents and 52% of Democrats, as well as two-thirds of downstaters and 59% of upstaters.

But the real shocker in this poll comes from a question about something Mayor Adams said a few weeks ago. Remember this comment? “This issue will destroy New York City,” he said.

Mayor Eric Adams escalated his rhetoric over the influx of migrants from the southern border, saying at a town hall meeting that the issue would “destroy New York City” and renewed his push for federal help. https://t.co/NRLc57nz59 pic.twitter.com/1U8JjgZ0aI

— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 7, 2023

At the time, that message was welcomed by a lot of conservatives who felt that New York was finally getting a sense of what border states have dealt with for decades. On the other hand there were plenty of voices on the left eager to denounce what Adams had said.

Choosing to gut public programs, favor big business, skyrocket rents, and defunding schools to add *another* $5b in militarization & then blaming immigrants for it is not leadership.

The White House *does* need to step up. We have solutions. Alienating people isn’t one of them. https://t.co/KScgB1Kx0d

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 8, 2023

This ridiculous fraud @NYCMayor must resign. The immigrants will revitalize this city. If anybody destroys it, it'll be this fool Adams prostituting himself for the police. https://t.co/IzmopaYqRw

— Keith Olbermann⌚️ (@KeithOlbermann) September 8, 2023

There’s a lot more like this but you get the idea. Adams was called a racist for noting that this problem was costing the city a tremendous amount of money. But getting back to the poll released today, a majority of New Yorker’s say they agree with his statement. And sorry leftists but it’s not just white respondents who feel this way.

“While a plurality of New Yorkers do not approve of the job Adams is doing to address the influx of migrants, a 58-32% majority of New Yorkers – including a narrow plurality of Democrats – agree with Adams’ statement that ‘this issue will destroy New York City.’ A majority of white (60%), Black (57%) and Latino (51%) voters all agree,” Greenberg said.

Again, the left’s response is always to blame these reactions on racism but New Yorkers reading the news have billions of reasons to be upset about what is happening.

The amount of state funding New York has committed to house and care for thousands of asylum seekers in New York City has ballooned to at least $1.8 billion from $1 billion since the state budget was enacted in May…

Not included in the $1.8 billion estimate is the operating expense for a large migrant site that has yet to open: a 2,000-bed shelter at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, which the state has also agreed to fund on its own.

The other news from the poll is that Joe Biden’s approval rating continues to sink.

President Biden has a 45-52% favorability rating, down from 50-45% in September, and a 46-51% job approval rating, slightly down from 47-48% last month. For 2024, Democrats say they want a different presidential nominee than Biden, 52-41%; in September, they wanted Biden as their nominee, 54-40%.

It’s not clear if his declining favorability is connected to the immigration issue. Most likely there are multiple factors involved but immigration is probably one of them.