Considering the strong support to deport and pause immigration, building the “Wall” numbers don’t make sense...
Support 42%
Oppose 50%
I think the reason “the wall” lags behind the other proposals is that the perception (honestly don’t know whether is valid or not) is that it would cost more money than the other alternatives.
The big picture is the important one—anything that controls illegal and legal immigration is a good thing.
I don’t think most people want an actual massive wall along 1,000 miles, since enforcing the laws and not handing out massive welfare to criminals should be enough. The borderlands are a lovely area, or at least, used to be. A virtual wall, with certain parts reinforced with actual walls/fences, should work.
It may be a money and/or a land issue.
Strong conservatism does not want to spend the money but do it with other means less expensive. Some have thrown out dropping Posse Comitatus Act along or deem the enforcement of our sovereign boundaries actually a federal issue and get the job done. The military would enforce the border outside city limits, BP would maintain check points and still do inter border security. We are paying the military already so why not use them to enforce and consider this training. Secondly, you run into the problem of private land that would have to be bought up or in most cases condemned. People in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas put up one heck of a fight over the fence that was proposed. If a wall starts coming in you will see an uprising because land will have to be condemned before the government gets its hands on it. I believe this will be the same up and down the Texas border.
Yeah I noticed that too. I definitely want the wall.
I agree, 42% for the wall sounded low, but wording is everything and people, I guess don’t like walls - probably because it was demonized so much by both parties. But perhaps if the question had been phrased as follows, the answer would have been much a lot different:
“Do you support securing of our Southern Border by whatever means necessary, even if that includes a wall?”
I actually think the support is stronger than the data might suggest. A lot depends on how the questions are asked and in what order. A lot might also depend on the thoughtfulness of the person answering.
I think there are some people who favor strong border control, but don’t necessarily favor building a wall. If I were asked the question in a survey, I would probably say “yes, build the wall”, but if I were actually in charge of making the decision, I might hesitate. Why? Because I haven’t looked at all options. I don’t favor building a wall along the Canadian border, yet I still favor border control with Canada. I think a lot of dangerous people slip through the Canadian border and that needs to be stopped. So in order not to be a hypocrite like most leftists, I’d have to stop and think more carefully about what the difference is and what is the most effective way to prevent illegals from entering the country.
Building a wall has been villainized by the media. That’s why those numbers are lower.
Sadly they do. People have been told repeatedly that building the Wall is impossible. It would be too big.
They also have been told that it would be futile. People would just climb it.
Both of these things are lies but they are what they have heard.
So based on what they know, which is you do what makes sense, a wall is a waste of money.
Once you take them on a five minute "walls of the world" tour their opinion changes.
The one between India and Pak-ee-stan really makes an impact.
that makes me think the poll is real and not stacked
There’s also more support for keeping Obama’s “dreamer” executive orders in place.
Other than that and the wall, they’re for a tough immigration policy.
Do they not realize if you incentivize people to bring their illegal kids here because they know they’ll get amnesty for them, you’ll get more of the illegal immigration you’re trying to stop?