Former President Donald Trump's signature campaign proposal, the construction of a border wall on the southern border, has gained even more popularity due to an unprecedented surge in illegal border crossings under his successor. Public support for a border wall has significantly swung over time, indicating a notable shift in favor of its construction.
According to a recent Fox News survey released on Wednesday, 57% of registered voters now support the idea of building a wall on the nation's border with Mexico, while 40% oppose it. These figures represent a substantial increase from November 2015 when 50% were in favor and 47% were opposed to the idea.
The support for a border wall has seen a remarkable reversal since September 2018 when it hit a low of 39%, with 51% opposing the construction. Notably, traditionally Democratic constituencies have shown a surge in support for the wall. Hispanic voters' support has increased by 14% since February, while among black voters, it has jumped by 9% during the same period. Democrats have witnessed an 8% increase in support, and voters over the age of 65 have shown a significant surge of 19% in their support. Republican support has also grown by 7%.
This trend can potentially be attributed to the recent spike in illegal immigrant arrivals in major American cities, which predominantly lean left politically. Since President Joe Biden took office, over seven million people have illegally entered the United States. The Biden administration's relatively lenient approach towards illegal entry has sparked outrage among Republicans, leading Texas Governor Greg Abbott to transport migrants to sanctuary cities as a means of protesting Washington's border policies.
Governor Abbott's tactic seems to have had an impact, as pro-border security demonstrations have taken place even in left-wing sanctuary cities like New York. While Abbott's government alone has dispatched at least 13,000 migrants to New York, the city has seen over 110,000 arrivals over the course of the past year.
In response to pleas from Democratic lawmakers and mounting pressure from Republicans, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas acknowledged earlier this month an "immediate need" to construct additional border barriers in a key Texas hotspot for illegal crossings.
Meanwhile, public opinion on the Biden administration's immigration policies remains extraordinarily low, with only 33.4% of voters supporting the administration's handling of the issue, as indicated by the RealClearPolitics polling average. Conversely, a substantial 63.0% disapprove of President Biden's approach to the matter.
The survey, conducted from October 6th to October 9th, included 1,007 registered voters and carries a margin of error of +/- 3%.
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