For the first time since polling on the topic began, a majority supports the construction of a border wall on the border with Mexico.
The previously fringe idea, popularized as a campaign pledge by former President Donald Trump, has gained traction amid a spiraling crisis at the border, with record numbers of immigrants crossing daily. According to a new Monmouth University poll, 53% supports the construction of a border wall, compared to just 46% who oppose it.
The question was first posed in a poll in 2015, when it got 48% approval but quickly declined to just 35% support in 2017. Support then floated at about 40%-44% before abruptly shooting up to a majority this year.
Other responses in the poll reflected the growing concern over immigration — 61% of people said that illegal immigration is a “very serious” problem, with another 23% saying that it’s a “somewhat serious” problem. As with wanting the construction of a border wall, the poll was the first time a majority had described illegal immigration as a “very serious” problem.
The responses are a good sign for Trump, who has made immigration a centerpiece of all three of his presidential campaigns. Despite his promise of a wall in 2016, staunch opposition from Congress and questions of its efficacy prevented its full construction. The poll results could reinvigorate his calls for a border wall and tougher immigration measures.
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In contrast, immigration consistently polls among Biden’s weakest topics. In response to popular criticism, Biden has approved limited construction of a wall in some areas of the border, despite pledging in 2020 that “there will not be another foot of wall constructed.”
The poll was conducted from Feb. 8-12, surveying 902 adults, with a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.