Nearly eight in ten Americans, including 66% of Hispanics and 64% of blacks, want illegal immigrants who have been flooding across the border sent back to their countries.
According to a YouGov/Economist poll, 77% of Americans – including 66% of Hispanics, 64% of blacks, 92% of Republicans, 80% of independents, and 67% of Democrats – want the illegal immigrants returned in some capacity.
Respondents were asked:
What should the US government do with the unaccompanied children it has in custody now who have crossed the border illegally? (A) Return them to the Mexican border; (B) Return them to their family in their home country, regardless of conditions in their home country; (C) Return them to their family in their home country, only if conditions in their home country are safe; (D) Allow them to stay in the US; (E) Something else; (F) Don’t know
Among all respondents, 10% wanted illegal immigrants returned to the Mexican border; 32% wanted them returned “to their family in their home country, regardless of conditions in their home country;” 35% wanted illegal immigrants returned “to their family in their home country, only if conditions in their home country are safe;” 11% wanted them to stay in the United States; 3% wanted something else; and 10% didn’t know what the proper solution was.
Among Hispanics, 8% wanted illegal immigrants returned to the Mexican border; 20% wanted them returned “to their family in their home country, regardless of conditions in their home country;” 38% wanted illegal immigrants returned “to their family in their home country, only if conditions in their home country are safe;” 22% wanted them to stay in the United States; 4% wanted something else; and 6% didn’t know what the proper solution was.
There have been nearly 60,000 illegal immigrants who have been apprehended at the border since October of last year, and federal officials expect 150,000 more will be in the next fiscal year. The online poll was conducted July 19-21, and its margin of error is +/- 4.3 percentage points.