OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Once again, it appears as though former President Donald Trump was spot-on when it comes to knowing what’s important to most Americans.
When Trump launched his first presidential campaign in 2015, he was adamant about curbing illegal immigration and made that a cornerstone of his ultimately successful campaign. He noted in 2020 that he managed to fulfill his promise by pointing out that, under his policies, illegal immigration had fallen to record lows.
But after Trump lost, President Joe Biden, on his first day in office, reversed nearly all of Trump’s highly effective immigration and border security policies, which Republicans — and a growing number of Democrats — say were responsible for creating the current chaotic situation along the southwest border, and why the issue of illegal immigration has skyrocketed to the top of the list of concerns of a majority of Americans this election cycle after nearly 8 million people have entered the U.S. over the past three years.
“Significantly more Americans name immigration as the most important problem facing the U.S. (28%) than did a month ago (20%). Immigration has now passed the government as the most often cited problem, after the two issues tied for the top position the past two months. The government ranked first each month from January through November 2023,” the Gallup polling firm noted in a report published this week.
“In the latest poll, 20% of Americans name the government as the most important problem, followed by the economy (12%) and inflation (11%). Immigration is the only issue that has shown meaningful change in the past month,” Gallup noted further.
The issue was of paramount concern for Americans during Trump’s administration too, especially after he was forced to deal with a surge of illegal crossings in 2018 while fighting a GOP-led Congress to get funding for his promised border wall.
In a separate query in the survey, a record-high 55% of U.S. adults, marking an increase of eight points from the previous year, indicated that “large numbers of immigrants entering the United States illegally” represent a critical threat to U.S. vital interests. The previous high was recorded at 50% in 2004, Gallup noted.
“While many Americans regard the economy, generally, or inflation, specifically, as the most important problem facing the U.S., far more name immigration. Immigration now sits alone at the top of the most important problem list, something it has done only occasionally in Gallup’s trend and not since 2019,” Gallup noted in conclusion, adding: “Although their economic assessments have improved, Americans remain largely dissatisfied with the state of the nation and the job federal leaders are doing.”
The issue of immigration is also making headlines again after a suspected illegal migrant allegedly brutally murdered a University of Georgia nursing student last week.
Trump renewed a previous pledge to conduct a mass deportation of migrants in the U.S. illegally if he wins in November while referring to the illegal immigrant who was arrested for the murder a “monster.”
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to criticize President Joe Biden, blaming him for allowing the murder of the 22-year-old woman to happen. He lambasted the administration for the surge of illegal immigrants entering the country and engaging in criminal activities.
“Crooked Joe Biden’s Border INVASION is destroying our country and killing our citizens!” Trump wrote. “The horrible murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley at the University of Georgia should have NEVER happened! The monster who took her life illegally entered our Country in 2022 … and then was released AGAIN by Radical Democrats in New York after injuring a CHILD!!”
“When I am your President, we will immediately Seal the Border, Stop the Invasion, and on Day One, we will begin the largest deportation operation of illegal CRIMINALS in American History!” Trump continued. “May God Bless Laken Riley and her family!!! Our prayers are with you!”
