Poll: Majority of Voters Want the US Government To Stop Caravan at Border
President Donald Trump is speaking for the majority of Americans when he vows to stop the migrant caravan at America’s border with Mexico, according to a new poll.
The Rasmussen Reports poll, released Tuesday, showed that 51 percent of likely voters believe that the caravan’s members should not be allowed into the U.S.
Thirty-eight percent of likely voters disagreed, saying the migrants should at least be allowed in the U.S. while their cases are reviewed. Eleven percent were undecided.
Attitudes about the migrants linked to attitudes about the president. The poll found that among voters who strongly approve of Trump’s performance as president, 93 percent want the migrants kept out of the U.S. Among those who strongly disapprove of Trump, 69% want them allowed in, at least on a temporary basis.
Trump on Monday fired off tweets chastising the nations through which the caravan has traveled for not living up to their obligations to stop the caravan, which began with 1,600 people in Honduras, reached 4,000 people when it hit Guatemala, and is now estimated at 7,000 people as it travels through Mexico.
“Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S. We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them,” Trump tweeted.
Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S. We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2018
“Every time you see a Caravan, or people illegally coming, or attempting to come, into our Country illegally, think of and blame the Democrats for not giving us the votes to change our pathetic Immigration Laws! Remember the Midterms! So unfair to those who come in legally,” he added.
Every time you see a Caravan, or people illegally coming, or attempting to come, into our Country illegally, think of and blame the Democrats for not giving us the votes to change our pathetic Immigration Laws! Remember the Midterms! So unfair to those who come in legally.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2018
“Sadly, it looks like Mexico’s Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States. Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in. I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy. Must change laws!” he continued.
Sadly, it looks like Mexico’s Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States. Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in. I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy. Must change laws!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2018
During an Oval Office session with the media on Tuesday, Trump did not back down.
“We’ll have to call up our military if we need to … we cannot allow our country to be violated like this,” he said according to a White House media pool report.
Trump said there was “heartache on both sides,” but said that the effort to partner with governments to improve human rights in Central America “hasn’t worked for a long time,” Fox News reported
“We have to focus on our country for a change,” Trump said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo underscored Trump’s tough talk, saying migrants will not make it into the U.S.
“President Trump will not stand for this to happen to us,” Pompeo said.
“For those who say this is a hard-hearted stance, let’s not forget this is a historically generous nation,” he added.
“You will not be successful in getting into the United States illegally,” he said, noting that the fact that not knowing who is in the caravan is an “unacceptable security risk.”
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