With illegal immigration and sanctuary cities a topic of hot debate, it’s interesting to note that voters think the federal government doesn’t do enough to deport illegal aliens. Rasmussen reports:
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Likely U.S. Voters think the U.S. government is not aggressive enough in deporting those who are in this country illegally. That shows little change from April but is up from 52% in April of last year. Twelve percent (12%) think the government is too aggressive, down from 16% in April. Sixteen percent (16%) now think the number of deportations is about right, while 12% are not sure.
This is a trend that seems to be growing, as voters shift toward stronger penalties for hiring / housing illegals and harsher punishments for sanctuary cities:
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters think the policies and practices of the federal government encourage people to enter the United States illegally, down just two points from March’s recent high. Twenty-eight percent (28%) disagree, while 17% are undecided.Sixty-two percent (62%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the U.S. Justice Department should take legal action against cities that provide sanctuary for illegal immigrants. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 26% oppose Justice Department action against sanctuary cities. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided.
While voters are becoming increasingly supportive of stronger measures against illegal immigration, the Department of Homeland Security is reporting a “surge” in illegal immigrants, the International Business Times reports:
Federal border officials might have spoken too soon when they predicted earlier this year that the level of illegal immigration to the U.S. among mothers and children would decrease. There was actually a surge of immigrant families crossing U.S. borders last month, a top Department of Homeland Security official told a federal court Thursday.The new wave of arrivals comes as Border Patrol officials continue to wrestle with conditions at detention facilities overcrowded with Central American children and adults fleeing their homelands for the U.S. During the court hearing Thursday, Obama administration officials were seeking a compromise from a federal judge who recently limited how officials detain immigrant families.
Our porous southern border is a real problem not only in terms of national security but also because resources are stretched so thin that the immigrants who cross the border illegally are confronted with less than ideal living conditions in over-extended detention facilities. The answer is not to throw more money at this ever-growing problem but to close the border; something the majority of Americans support.
It’s a solution that France and the UK urge the EU to take and that Switzerland is threatening, while Hungary is busy building a fence at their border and Italy is increasing their border protection, and we all know how much progressives like to point to Europe as an example we should follow. For once, I agree.
[Featured Image: Obama Immigration Executive Action Speech End]
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY