Tom Perez, former chair of the Democratic National Committee and senior advisor to President Joe Biden, dismissed a voter poll supporting mass deportation of illegal immigrants. During an appearance on CBS News, Perez defended the administration’s immigration policies and questioned the accuracy of the poll, which showed over half of voters in favor of deportations.

Perez praised Biden’s recent executive order, which paves the way for thousands of illegal immigrants to gain citizenship. “It’s the right thing to do, it’s the legal thing to do and it’s the smart thing to do,” Perez said, emphasizing the administration’s “balanced approach” to the border crisis.

However, when confronted with poll results indicating that many voters disagree, Perez challenged the findings. “I’d love to sit down with your polling team and show them how they’ve gotten this wrong,” he said, noting that other polls have shown different results.

A recent CBS News/YouGov poll revealed that a majority of registered voters support a national mass deportation program. The poll, conducted from June 5-7, 2024, asked, “Would you favor or oppose the U.S. government starting a new national program to deport all undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. illegally?” It found that 62% of Americans, including 53% of Hispanics, favor such a program, which has been a key component of Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.

Despite the poll results, Perez insisted that Biden’s policies are morally and legally justified. “We’re keeping families together, communities together, and we’ve got a workforce shortage,” he said. Social media reactions, however, indicate significant pushback against Perez’s defense of the administration’s approach.