Americans see immigration as top issue for Trump to tackle

8/11/2024 6:15

        Americans see immigration
        as the most pressing issue for President-elect Donald Trump to
        address, and a large majority believe he will order mass
        deportations of people living in the U.S. illegally, a
        Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed Thursday found.
        
        But respondents to the two-day poll, conducted in the hours
        after the Republican clinched his election victory, were divided
        about his plans to expel large numbers of people.
        
        Asked what Trump's top priority should be in the first 100
        days following his Jan. 20 inauguration, 25% of respondents said
        he should prioritize immigration, a much larger share than any
        other issue. Some 14% of respondents said Trump should focus on
        income inequality, 12% said taxes and smaller shares picked
        healthcare, crime, jobs or the environment.
        
        Some 82% of respondents in the poll considered it likely
        that Trump would order mass deportations, including similar
        shares of Democrats and Republicans. Many said they are
        concerned about the expected policy, including 82% of Democrats
        and 40% of independents. About nine in 10 Republicans said they
        were not concerned Trump could order mass deportations.
        
        Trump campaigned to return to the White House vowing a vast
        immigration crackdown, including a promise to deport record
        numbers of immigrants in an operation Trump’s running mate JD
        Vance estimated could remove 1 million people per year.
        
        During his campaign, Trump frequently called attention to
        crimes reportedly committed by immigrants lacking legal status,
        though numerous studies have shown immigrants do not commit
        crimes at higher rates than native-born Americans.
        
        Trump backers - including some who could enter his second
        administration - anticipate the Republican will call on everyone
        from the U.S. military to diplomats overseas to turn the promise
        of mass deportations into reality. The effort would include
        cooperation with Republican-led states and using federal funding
        as leverage against resistant jurisdictions.
        
        Immigrant advocates warn that Trump’s deportation effort
        would be costly, divisive and inhumane.
        
        Trump told NBC News in an interview on Thursday that he
        would carry out his promise of mass deportations regardless of
        cost, saying, "It's not a question of a price tag. It’s not —
        really, we have no choice."
        
        Americans are divided over the possible mechanics of mass
        deportations, such as whether they might involve detention
        camps.
        
        Some 58% of Republicans in the poll - but only 15% of
        Democrats - agreed with a statement the immigrants without
        authorization to be in the country should be "arrested and put
        in detention camps while awaiting deportation hearings." About
        75% of Democrats opposed rounding up immigrants in that manner,
        as did 31% of Republicans.
        
        Trump plans to use a 1798 wartime statute known as the Alien
        Enemies Act to rapidly deport alleged gang members, an action
        that would almost certainly be challenged in court.
        
        The law has been used three times, according to the Brennan
        Center for Justice: the War of 1812, World War One and World War
        Two, when it was employed to justify internment camps for people
        of Japanese, German and Italian descent.
        
        The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted online, surveyed
        1,471 adults nationwide and the results had a margin of error of
        3 percentage points for all respondents and 5 points for
        Republicans and Democrats.