NumbersUSA’s Statement on the 2026 Midterm Election

Immigration policy wasn’t a decisive issue in the 2026 midterm election tonight, but the election could have a significant impact on immigration policy. Americans voted today with one issue paramount: their economic security. With a historically quiet border, immigration was not the decisive election issue that it was in 2024. Exit polling put immigration far behind the economy, and 89% of voters who prioritized immigration voted for Republicans. Overall, voters gave Republicans a 4-point advantage on immigration, the GOP’s strongest issue.

Secure borders are popular. High housing costs, stagnant wages, and limited job opportunities are straining the American dream. Three decades of the largest wave of immigration in U.S. history have made each of them worse.

The outgoing Republican majorities should finish the job they were sent to Washington to accomplish by codifying this secure border into law.

The incoming Democratic majority should reject calls from within its party to defund or abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That would be an egregious misreading of this election.

Instead, the next Congress should work toward a well-managed immigration system that prioritizes economic opportunity for all Americans, starting with the bipartisan reform first recommended 30 years ago: mandatory E-Verify.