The construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico is now supported by nearly half of Latino voters, according to a new poll. Additionally, almost 40 percent of those same voters support deporting all illegal immigrants from the U.S.
According to the Axios-Ipsos survey, support for the border wall has jumped 12–points since December 2021, with 42 percent of Latino voters saying they now support the construction. The survey also — for the first time — asked Latino voters if they backed the president closing the U.S.-Mexico border if too many illegal immigrants were seen crossing into the country. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (64 percent) believed the president should have the authority to close the border.
Overall, immigration ranked as the third most important issue for Latino voters — behind crime and inflation. Over the past several months, polls have shown consistent weakness for President Joe Biden on all three issues — with voters overwhelmingly saying that former President Donald Trump is more capable of handling these problems.
Chris Jackson, senior vice president and pollster at Ipsos, said the survey “illustrates that some immigration hardline positions (are) incrementally more popular” among the Latino voter demographic. The data adds further credence to recent polls, which suggest Latino and Hispanic support for former President Donald Trump is growing because of his tougher stance on illegal immigration.
The National Pulse reported in late March that 74 percent of Hispanic voters backed using the term “Illegal” to describe Laken Riley’s murderer — Venezuelan national Jose Antonio Ibarra. A February Marist poll showed that nearly 60 percent of Hispanic voters disapprove of President Biden’s open border policies.
