President-elect Trump promised that his border wall would be great, big, and beautiful. He might soon discover that it’s unpopular.
Though controversial and polarizing, 41 percent of Americans say they’re happy with the number of immigrants coming into the country. That’s the highest level of satisfaction since 2001 when Gallup started tracking the issue.
Those numbers are surprising, especially after the electorate opted for a candidate who ran on a decidedly anti-immigrant platform. It certainly doesn’t fit historical trends. Like a pendulum, approval of current immigration levels has swung from a low of 23 percent to a high of 38 percent during the respective presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Still the majority of Americans, 53 percent, remain dissatisfied with current policy. And in Republican circles, most conservatives want to reduce immigration. Unsurprisingly, whites are twice as likely than non-whites to oppose increased levels of immigrations.
Those numbers suggest that general immigration reform will be incredibly difficult. And they also imply that transforming the wall from campaign slogan into a real barrier will be a monumental challenge.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
