Awkward moment Biden campaign adviser is confronted by poll showing 62% FAVOR mass deportations - after insisting pathways to citizenship is the 'right thing to do'

A senior advisor to Joe Biden looked rattled and scoffed at the notion that Biden's immigration policies are unpopular after being shown a poll in favor of mass deportations. 

On Tuesday, Biden announced a sweeping new policy that would lift the threat of deportation for hundreds of thousands of people married to U.S. citizens.  

However, the CBS News/YouGov poll, conducted between June 5-7, found that 62 percent of registered voters favored a government program to deport all illegal immigrants.

Senior advisor Tom Perez, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee, seemed unfazed by an anchor reading him those numbers as he discussed Biden's border policy Wednesday.

'I'd love to sit down with your polling team and show them how they've gotten this wrong,' he said, citing other polls claiming that the parameters of the new Biden plan.

He claimed Biden's action would be both morally and legally correct, and even popular.

'It's the right thing to do, it's the legal thing to do and it's the smart thing to do,' he said.

'We're keeping families together, communities together and we've got a workforce shortage,' Perez added. 

The poll also showed that a majority of voters supported Biden's recent executive action at the southern border.

Biden has deported and repatriated more people in the past year than any year since 2010. 

Donald Trump has proposed using the National Guard to deport illegal immigrants, planning what he calls 'the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.'

In contrast, Biden's recent executive actions at the southern border aims to manage asylum claims and control border crossings more effectively. 

The Biden administration has introduced measures to suspend the entry of migrants across the southern border once the number of average border encounters in a day hits 2,500 for seven days in a row.

The idea is to make is easier to remove newly arrived migrants should they not have a legal basis to remain in the U.S. 

The White House's decision earlier this month to implement a restrictive proposal that essentially halted asylum processing at the U.S.-Mexico border angered many of Biden's political allies.

In the policy announced this week, Biden plans to allow roughly 490,000 spouses of U.S. citizens an opportunity to apply for a 'parole in place' program, which would shield them from deportations and offer them work permits if they have lived in the country for at least 10 years. 

Biden opened his presidency with promises to fight for widespread relief for the millions of immigrants who live in the country without permanent legal status. 

But as the number of migrants reached historic levels and he prepares for a reelection contest against Donald Trump, Biden earlier this month enacted a border clampdown that critics say is similar to those pursued by his predecessor. 

The authority Biden is invoking not only gives deportation protections and work permits, but removes a legal barrier to allow qualifying immigrants to apply for permanent residency and, eventually, U.S. citizenship. 

It's a power that's already been used for other categories of immigrants, such as members of the U.S. military or their family members who lack legal status. 

Biden was also expected to announce a policy of making recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program eligible for visas, rather than the temporary work authorization they currently receive, according to two of the people briefed. 

Still, Biden's use of the authority could come under legal challenge, just as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has faced. 

The White House on Tuesday afternoon is marking the 12th anniversary of that program, which was created by then-President Barack Obama to protect young immigrants who lacked legal status, often known as 'dreamers.' 

Biden's policy would only apply to longtime U.S. residents, but Republicans were nonetheless critical. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, called it a 'huge magnet' for would-be immigrants, saying it was 'going to attract even more people' to the border.