Donald Trump’s contentious border wall to stop undocumented migrants from crossing the border with Mexico into the United States is now more popular among American voters than ever, according to a new poll.
Majority in Favor
For the first time, the majority of Americans support building the wall along the southern border, the poll, by Monmouth University in early February, found. A total of 53 percent of those who took part want the wall expanded along the border while 46 percent were against the idea.
Southern Border Crisis
The rising public support for the structure comes at a time when the southern border is strained by continuing high levels of undocumented migrants crossing over from Mexico. Republicans blame the crisis on the Biden administration and have led attempts to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that was successful earlier this month.
Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Wall’
Trump’s signature pledge when running for election in 2016 was a giant wall along parts of the southern border. He said, of Mexicans: “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” He said he would “make Mexico pay for it” but after winning the election, Trump signed an executive order, in 2017, for construction of the wall to begin, using federal funds of around $15 billion.
State of the Wall Now
Prior to Trump becoming president, around 654 miles of barriers along parts of the southern border existed. Since then, approximately 15 miles of wall have been constructed, 350 miles of replacement barrier erected and 221 miles of the structure was under construction, according to figures from US Customers and Border Protection.
Biden and the Wall
Construction of Trump’s wall came to a sudden halt when he failed to be reelected in 2020 as Joe Biden won the presidency. On his first day in the White House, Biden canceled any further work on the barrier, although some was done last year due to federal funds that had previously been approved.
The Wall in 2024
In a presidential election year, immigration, the southern border crisis and Trump’s wall have become one of the main issues among voters. And it looks like the election will be a replay of 2020, as Biden is seeking a second term in office and Trump is running for a third time. Both Biden, a Democrat, and Trump, a Republican, are their respective parties’ likely candidates to be crowned their nominees for this year’s race, given their dominant polling and primary wins.
Mexico Border Visits
Trump and Biden are planning separate trips to the Mexico border later this week and to view parts of the wall, their campaigns said. The visits highlight the importance the candidates place on immigration as the November 5 election date nears, political analysts said.
‘Very Serious Problem’
The Monmouth University survey also found that the majority of Americans, or 61 percent, view immigration as a “very serious problem,” compared to less than one quarter who think it is a “somewhat serious” issue.
Republican Most Concerned
Republicans were most concerned about immigration, at 91 percent of those polled. The university has been carrying out the survey since 2015, when Republican concern about immigration was at 66 percent and in 2019 at 77 percent.
Biden’s Border Bill
President Biden is attempting to resolve the border issue with an $118 billion national security bill that would, if passed into law, give him the authority to shut down the southern border, something he said he would do straight away. It also has provisions for additional security measures at the border and for the recruitment of additional agents to process arriving migrants.
Floundering Bill
But while the bill passed in the Senate earlier this month, it has floundered in the House of Representatives, where Republicans say they won’t vote for it because the bill would provide tens of billions of dollars for overseas aid to Ukraine, Israel and Asian nations. House Speaker Mike Johnson has called the bill “dead on arrival” and other Republicans say they won’t vote for it unless substantial changes are made. Trump has branded the bill a “death wish” and urged Republicans not to vote in favor.
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