Hispanics Far From Wanting Open Borders

Despite the notion that Hispanics in the United States should support lax immigration enforcement and  open borders, recent midterm exit polling conducted by Zogby Analytics indicates that Hispanics are very much concerned with illegal immigration and the nation’s border security. Below are some key findings from the polling:

1. 85.2% of Hispanic respondents agree that illegal immigration is a problem to the United States with close to a third (30.7%) claiming it be a very serious problem.
2. Nearly half (47.9%) of all Hispanic voters support building border fencing authorized by Congress in 2006 along the Southwest border.
3. The majority (58.4%) of all Hispanic respondents agree that U.S. employers should be using E-Verify to determine if workers are legally eligible to work in the United States.
4. Close to half (45.1%) of all Hispanic respondents say that they support President Trump’s policies to address illegal immigration and border security.
5. More than three-quarters (77.6%) of Hispanic respondents say that they believe it is necessary to maintain a law enforcement agency dedicated to enforcing immigration laws.

These polls suggest that addressing uncontrolled immigration has now become a significant issue for Hispanic voters. It comes to no surprise that many Hispanics take this stance, as illegal aliens often compete directly with them for jobs, education, and access to government services. Moreover, many have endured a rigorous naturalization process that involves monetary, time, and studying commitments.Nearly all of the questions asked in the poll did not explicitly associate a policy with a specific political party or political candidate, suggesting that when policies are not affiliated with a particular party or individual, voters are more likely to express their genuine feelings.Clearly, border security and immigration enforcement played an important role for Hispanic voters during the 2018 midterm elections and with impending migrant caravans approaching southern California, it remains to be seen if the political leadership of either party will heed the voices of Hispanic voters, who want immigration laws enforced, or a shrill minority who claim to speak for Hispanic Americans.