Poll: Majority of Americans Support National Guard Troops on the Border

Contrary to what was being portrayed in the debate in Congress, most Americans believe that the sending of National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border will help illegal immigration issues for the short term.

In a poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos, it seems the public sides with President Donald Trump on this one.

Fifty-five percent of U.S. adults think deploying the National Guard to the border will be effective in the short term, but only 49 percent think it will be effective in the long term. About 16 percent of Americans think it will be “very effective” short and long-term.

See graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2HDwaiT

Seventy-seven percent of Republicans think deploying the National Guard will be effective in the short term, compared with just 42 percent of Democrats.

A large majority of Trump voters – 85 percent – are confident in the plan in the short term.

But people across both parties tend to be less sure it is a durable strategy, slipping to 73 percent for Republicans and 34 percent for Democrats.

Fifteen percent of Trump voters also think it will be ineffective long-term.

The poll shows Democrats are split over whether deploying the National Guard will curb illegal immigration.

Forty-eight percent see it as ineffective in the short term, while 42 percent see it as effective – a difference of just 6 percentage points.

Only 8 percent of Democrats say it will be “very effective,” but the same percentage think this for the long term as well.

The number of Republicans showing this strongest level of support in the long term drops slightly.

See graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2vAQ3lL

Trump has also called for more Border Patrol agents as part of his immigration crackdown.

Responding to a separate question in the poll, nearly 60 percent of Americans say they support the increase.

Democrats report similar views on the strategies: four in 10 support more Border Patrol agents and sending the National Guard as a short-term plan.

But more Republicans support upping border agents, at 83.5 percent, than deploying troops, at 77 percent.

It wasn’t clear if the poll was conducted nationwide or among the border states where the issues of illegal immigration run deeper.

To read the entire article from Reuters, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia