As illegal immigration pushes its way to the top topic in the presidential election, a new survey revealed on Monday found that most voters want a Trump-style border wall built and fear that the crisis started by President Joe Biden could turn into a civil war.
The survey from I&I/TIPP Poll found that nearly 6 in 10 want the border wall completed.
“The score wasn’t close: Among all respondents, 59% supported constructing a wall along our southern border, either ‘strongly’ (41%) or ‘somewhat’ (18%). Just 32% oppose the idea, either ‘strongly’ (17%) or ‘somewhat’ (15%),” the analysis shared with Secrets said this morning.
A huge GOP majority of 85% want a wall, first proposed by then-candidate Donald Trump when he ran for president in 2016. But even among Democrats, there is support, with 43% backing it.
The new survey also found backing for state rights in protecting their international borders and a rejection of Washington’s threats to nationalize state National Guard troops being sent to Texas to help Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) stop illegal immigrants from crossing into his state.
The poll comes at a critical time, just a day after the Senate finally released its new comprehensive immigration bill. House leaders have already declared it DOA because they believe it will let in too many immigrants. It also spends heavily on the unrelated problems of the Ukraine and Israeli-Hamas wars.
Immigration has been nudging into the group of topics voters are most concerned about in the upcoming election. Voters have expressed opposition to Biden’s open-border policies, his dismantling of Trump’s hawkish border actions and the record number of illegal crossings that have resulted.
However, liberals still support Biden’s moves, and that is creating a conflict among partisans and border states.
The survey found growing concerns of a new civil war. “War between the states? Apparently, it’s not at all far-fetched. Many Americans see illegal immigration as a make-or-break issue,” the survey said.
By a margin of 49%-38%, voters said that they are concerned about open conflict over illegal immigration.
What’s more, Democrats and Republicans agree, independent voters less so.
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“Democrats and Republicans are nearly identical in their feelings: Democrats break 54% concerned vs. 34% not concerned, while Republicans are 55% concerned, 36% not concerned,” the analysis said.
It added, “As this month’s I&I/TIPP Poll shows, Americans largely side with restricting illegal immigration flows into the country, including building a wall to keep those who would enter illegally out. But, as [University of Tennessee law professor Glenn] Reynolds notes, potentially ‘what you get looks disturbingly like the early stages of a civil war.’”
