The coronavirus response has propelled the Democrat’s flawed open borders policy to the forefront of the political debate as we confront a massive public safety issue directly tied to unchecked movement. As travel restrictions into and out of the United States take effect and Americans are told to avoid leaving the house, the dangerous hypocrisy of unchecked illegal immigration is suddenly a real threat.
On Friday, President Trump announced a 30-day border closer with Mexico to help stem the spread of the virus, even as leftwing journalists maligned the move as racist. Public opinion however, is shifting significantly in the President’s favor on both the handling of the coronavirus, and on immigration policy.
A new Ipsos/ABC news poll shows a majority of Americans now support the way President Trump is handling the coronavirus, a reversal from one week ago. Fifty-five percent of Americans now approve of the president’s handling of the virus outbreak, and 43% disapprove. One week ago, 54% disapproved and 43% approved. This comes at a time when the radical left still maintains an absurdly transparent self-serving open borders agenda. Just last week, Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden admitted he would make no efforts to end sanctuary cities or deport illegals.
A comprehensive Harvard/Harris Poll – conducted earlier this year before the threat of the coronavirus was even a part of the debacle – showed the tide was already turning in Trump’s favor. The coronavirus outbreak simply makes the threat more imminent. The Harvard/Harris Poll found immigration was the second most important issue to Americans, right behind healthcare, with 29% of voters saying immigration is the most important issue.
A full 76% of voters support cracking down on illegal aliens who commit crimes, including a surprisingly high number of Black and Hispanic voters, and other ethnicities. Seventy percent of both Black and Hispanic voters and 89% of other ethnic groups support a crackdown. Interestingly, a relatively large share of younger voters think a crackdown on unlawfulness is a good idea. Sixty-nine percent of 18 to 34-year-old voters support a crackdown, and More 18 to 34-year-olds approve of Trump’s handling of immigration than voters over age 65. A full 46% of 18 to 34-year-olds approve of Trump’s handling of immigration compared to 44% of those over 65.
These numbers might seem high, but Market Research Foundation’s comprehensive survey of Generation Z found a similar dedication to enforcing border security among young people. We found 81% of young Americans want immigrants to follow the rules to immigrate awfully “even if they are difficult”. What’s more, 60% oppose abolishing the Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Below is a summary chart of Generation Z’s immigration views.
More hard-liner stances are also popular among young Americans. A full 58% of Generation Z says it doesn’t matter if illegal immigrants cause problems; if they came here illegally, they need to leave or go through the proper procedures to stay.
Unsurprisingly, this stance is more popular among young Republicans and Trump enthusiasts, but it is not confined to the GOP or to young Americans who support the President.
- While 86% of young people who approve of President Trump agree with the ‘leave or go through the proper procedures’ statement, 44% of those who disapprove of the President also agree with the statement.
- While 89% of young people who voted for President Trump in 2016 agree with the ‘leave or go through the proper procedures’ statement, so do 40% of Clinton voters and 48% of third-party voters.
- While 86% of young Republicans agree with the ‘leave or go through the proper procedures’ statement, 61% of young Independents agree, and 42% of young Democrats agree.
Region also plays a key role in support for this stance, with young New Englanders standing out as staunch supporters of the rule of law. A full 70% of New Englanders support the ‘leave or go through the proper procedures’ statement. New England boasts the largest share of agreement by region, followed closely by the reliably conservative East South-Central states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. Below is a chart showing agreement with the ‘leave or go through the proper procedures’ statement by region.
The tide is turning in favor of rational border security policies that make sense for our economy, safety, and now our health. While the mainstream media relentlessly demonizes President Trump’s efforts to stem the flow of illegals and Joe Biden stands aside and does nothing, Americans are increasingly backing President Trump’s efforts. Market Research Foundation’s research dispels the popular mainstream narrative that the youngest generation of Americans support the leftwing open borders agenda. Instead, Generation Z’s views on immigration display a strong preference for creating and enforcing practical immigration laws and punishing unlawful behavior. The American people, including young Americans, are fed up with allowing lawlessness to continue, and this issue will only become more important as we fight the coronavirus.
