More Than Half of Americans Now Say 'Yes' to Trump's U.S.-Mexico Border Wall

Over half of Americans now back the idea of building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico frontier, a recent survey reveals, highlighting a significant spike in worries about illegal immigration.

Shifting Views on Border Wall

The Monmouth University poll found that 53 percent of American adults are in favor of the wall, compared to 46 percent against it, with 1 percent undecided.

These numbers mark a sharp reversal from April 2019, under Donald Trump’s term, when opposition stood at 56 percent and support at only 42 percent.

A Flashback to 2015

Since 2015, when Trump first floated the border wall concept during his bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, Monmouth University has been tracking American voter sentiment.

Brief Popularity Under Obama

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The only other time a Monmouth survey showed more support than opposition for a border wall was back in September 2015, under the Obama administration, with 48 percent in favor and 43 percent against.

Immigration Anxiety

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The survey reveals that 61 percent of U.S. voters now view illegal immigration as a “very serious” problem, with another 23 percent deeming it “serious.”

In contrast, a mere 10 percent consider it “not too serious,” and 5 percent see it as “not at all serious.”

A Partisan Divide

Specifically among Republican voters, a whopping 91 percent perceive illegal immigration as “very serious,” followed by 58 percent of independents and 41 percent of Democrats.

Senate Bill Faces Opposition

The bipartisan Senate bill on migration and foreign aid, which was recently rejected by Republican hardliners, including Speaker Mike Johnson, faced significant criticism, particularly for its immigration components.

A Rocky Road

This bill, had it passed, would have allocated an additional $20 billion towards border security, implemented stricter asylum criteria, and mandated the closure of the border should there be a 7-day rolling average of 5,000 migrant encounters or a single-day spike of 8,500 encounters.

Americans Weigh In

According to the Monmouth survey, 47 percent of Americans felt the proposed legislation wasn’t stringent enough, while 12 percent deemed it overly harsh. Twenty-eight percent thought it struck the right balance, and 14 percent were undecided.

Migrants in the Workforce

A significant 62 percent of Americans now believe that illegal migrants fill positions that Americans are reluctant to take, in contrast to 28 percent who view them as taking jobs from U.S. citizens.

An additional 4 percent see it both ways, while 6 percent are undecided.

Survey Methodology and Demographics

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This insight comes from a Monmouth University Polling Institute survey of 902 U.S. adults, conducted from February 8 to 12 through a mix of landline and cell phone interviews, as well as online surveys distributed via text.

Decline in Border Crossings

This period has also seen a notable decline in U.S.-Mexico border crossings, with a 42 percent drop from December to January, marking the largest monthly decrease since President Joe Biden assumed office.

January’s Figures

In January, total migrant encounters across the U.S. borders stood at 242,587, significantly down from 370,925 in December, and also lower than the figures from October and November.

Southwest Shift

Specifically, the Southwest land border saw a decrease from 301,983 encounters in December to 176,205 in January, highlighting a key issue for border states like Texas and Arizona.

The Annual Count

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During the 2023 fiscal year, the U.S.-Mexico border witnessed more than 2.4 million migrant encounters, a significant rise from the roughly 1.7 million recorded in 2021.

Texas Trends

In Texas alone, there was a dramatic decrease in migrant encounters, with total crossings dropping from 155,737 in December to 73,750 in January—marking the lowest figure for the current fiscal year, which started in October.

Additionally, Southwest land border crossings experienced a substantial reduction, moving away from the six-figure encounters seen.

Mayorkas’ Impeachment

On February 13, Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security Secretary, faced impeachment by the Republican-majority House of Representatives, marking a significant protest against his management of the migrant crisis.

Senate Showdown

This event positioned Mayorkas as the first cabinet secretary to undergo impeachment since 1876. Despite this historic action, the likelihood of a conviction in the Senate, where Democrats hold the majority, remains exceedingly slim.