Nearly 4-in-5 Republican women say shutting down the United States-Mexico border is a “good idea” to stop surging illegal immigration, while more than 4-in-9 Republican voters, overall, say President Trump is “not tough enough” on illegal immigration, a new poll finds.
The latest Fox News poll conducted by Braun Research, Inc. finds that about 46 percent, a plurality, of GOP voters want Trump to be tougher on illegal immigration and the United States-Mexico border.
When pollsters asked, “Do you think the Trump administration is too tough in its treatment of illegal immigrants to the U.S., not tough enough, or about right?” only eight percent of Republicans said Trump was “too tough” on the issue, while 46 percent said he was “not tough enough.” Roughly 41 percent of GOP voters said his handling of the issue has been “about right.”
Across the board, Republican men and women by a plurality say Trump is not tough enough on illegal immigration. About 47 percent of GOP men said Trump should be tougher on the issue, as well as 45 percent of GOP women.
Likewise, about 66 percent of white Americans living in rural communities said Trump needed to be tougher on illegal immigration or that he was handling the issue correctly. Among Trump voters, nearly 50 percent said the president needed to be tougher on illegal immigration.
While Trump has given Mexico a year to handle the soaring levels of illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, the vast majority of Republican voters want him to close the southern border.
About 75 percent of GOP voters, or 3-in-4, said they believe it is a “good idea” for Trump to shut down the southern border for the time being. More than 30 percent of swing voters said the same.
Republican women are the most supportive of shutting down the southern border to halt illegal immigration with about 79 percent calling the plan a “good idea.”
Shutting down the border is also supported by about 67 percent of white Evangelical Christians, 52 percent of white Americans in rural communities, and nearly 70 percent of self-identified conservatives.
By a wide plurality, nearly 40 percent of Republican voters and more than 20 percent of all voters told pollsters that illegal immigration, and immigration in general, is the biggest issue facing the nation. Immigration ranks as the top issue among all voters, outpacing hot-button issues like health care and the economy.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.