Migrants from Central America are seen escorted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials after crossing the border from Mexico to surrender to the officials in El Paso, Texas, U.S., in this picture taken from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico December 3, 2018. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez
A new poll shows that voters aren’t buying Trump’s portrayal of immigrants as criminals and are rejecting Trump notion that immigrants commit more crimes than citizens.
According to the Monmouth University poll:
One rationale for many of the proposals, including the border wall, is to prevent an influx of violent criminals. However, most Americans do not believe that illegal immigrants are more likely than other U.S. residents to commit violent crimes. Just 21% say they are more likely to commit crimes like rape or murder, while 50% say they are about as likely as other Americans to do this, and 24% say they are actually less likely to commit these types of crimes. These results are fairly consistent with prior polls since 2015.
In terms of economic impacts of illegal immigration, few people (24%) feel that illegal immigrants take away jobs from American citizens. Most (60%) say illegal immigrants fill jobs that Americans do not want. There are no significant differences in these results by income level. This opinion has not shifted significantly since 2015.
The reason why Trump hardline immigration policies have failed to gain any traction with the public outside of his base is that most people don’t believe the assumptions behind Trump’s policies. They don’t believe that immigrants come to the US to steal American jobs, and they don’t buy by a nearly three to one margin the Trump belief that immigrants are more likely to commit crimes.
What happens when a ‘law and order’ president is fighting a threat that most of the country doesn’t believe
Trump’s immigration policies were a disaster for Republicans in the midterms, and Trump has responded by doubling down.
Donald Trump is more likely to hurt himself and his party with his immigration stance in 2020.
Most Americans aren’t buying what he is selling, which is why Trump’s attacks on immigrants are poised to backfire.
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