The highly esteemed former President, Donald Trump, is promising a robust response to securing the U.S.-Mexico border should his bid for presidency in November’s election prove successful. The voting support of the Latino community, a demographic group of crucial importance, is strong as they echo Trump’s push for enhanced border security. Interestingly, recent data from the Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll indicates an upward shift of at least a tenth of Latinos backing the construction of a border wall, and supporting the deportation of all undocumented immigrants since 2021.
The survey’s findings demonstrate the growing impact of Trump’s committed stance on stringent border security and the potential influence of his tough stance on immigration. These outcomes are indicative of the Republican party’s recent sway within the Latino population, reflecting widespread frustration that has pushed illegal immigration into the limelight as a key issue in the election. Should Trump reclaim the presidency, his commitment remains unwavering: enhanced border security and extensive deportations, which may encompass up to a million individuals.
The incumbent President, Joe Biden, has seemingly adjusted his stance to align more closely with these concerns. He has indicated a willingness to “seal the border” in response to surges in illegal crossings, a marked change prompted by political pressures. Axios has provided additional details about these notable polling results, demonstrating significant changes within the Hispanic community.
Deeply rooted in their convictions, 42% of the adult Latinos polled voiced their support for creating a wall or fence along the extensive U.S.-Mexican border—a considerable jump of 12 points from just a few months ago in December 2021. Opinion on the question of repatriation of undocumented immigrants to their home countries is also shifting, up a considerable ten points to 38%, compared to previous figures.
Additionally, a strong majority of Latinos—64% to be precise—expressed the belief that the President should have the legitimate authority to close U.S. borders in instances of overwhelming influxes of immigrants. This displays a degree of pragmatism within the community who evidently want agreed rules and processes to be upheld. The Axios survey revealed these illuminating changes in opinion for the first time.
Observing the demographic nuances, Cuban Americans, often more conservative than their other Latino counterparts and recipients of special immigration considerations since the time of the Cold War, are the strongest proponents of constructing the border wall with 58% in favor. The survey also explored the variation in support levels amongst different communities, with Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans showing lower levels of support at 37%, and Central Americans at 43%.
Upon exploring the key issues eliciting concern among Latinos, the survey shows after inflation and crime, immigration and crime once again stand out as significant. Though we can see a trend of increased backing for deportation of illegal immigrants, the majority of Latinos polled—65%—continue to support providing a path to citizenship.
An impressive 59% also expressed support for offering asylum to refugees who are fleeing violence and crime in Latin America, indicating the compassionate stance that many within the Latino community stand for. Such results defy simplistic portrayals of Latino viewpoints on immigration, illuminating a spectrum of nuanced insights.
Insights from Ipsos pollster and senior vice president, Chris Jackson, underscore the complex nature of these trends within the Latino community. He notes that the poll points to a growing acceptance of robust immigration control policies.
Further, he acknowledges the border crisis as a paramount concern for voters in the upcoming election—a crisis many perceive to have escalated under President Biden’s watch. Figures indicate an increase in the number of unauthorized immigrants entering the U.S. in the month of February.
In a report by the Department of Homeland Security, more than 256,000 encounters with unauthorized immigrants occurred in that month alone. The southern border remains particularly vulnerable, accounting for nearly 190,000 of these encounters. About 141,000 of these encounters resulted in arrests by Border Patrol.
More alarming are the heightened security risks related to unauthorized entries. The report highlights that among those arrested at the southern border were 11 individuals whose names were flagged on the federal government’s terrorism watchlist. The escalating situation at the border is thus not merely a question of immigration, but of national security as well.
To sum up, the outlook on border security and immigration within the Latino community is more variegated than commonly perceived, with growing support for stricter controls and policies. The results of the Axios-Ipsos poll manifest these shifts in perspective within this important demographic.
As discussions around border security and immigration remain front and center in the lead up to the November election, these shifting attitudes provide insightful understanding of the Latino electorate, likely influencing the strategies adopted by both President Trump and President Biden in their respective campaigns.
Trump Gains Momentum Among Latino Voters With Strong Border Security Initiative appeared first on Real News Now.
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