Commentary: Big Tent Ideas

STEVE CORTES: Americans Overwhelmingly Back Trump’s Deportation Agenda

(Screen Capture/CSPAN)

Americans overwhelmingly support the Trump-Vance administration’s moves on border and immigration issues and demand a return to law-and-order over migration issues. These beliefs cut across ideological and demographic lines, consistent with the mandate victory earned by President Donald Trump last November.

Specifically, by a +19% margin, Americans back broad, mass deportations of all illegal aliens by a 56%-37% spread. In a country that is politically polarized, where most issues breakdown roughly 47%-47% along party lines, that kind of margin on a controversial topic like immigration, it points to an emerging consensus in the country. 

Despite years of legacy media promoting open borders, and in the face of former President Joe Biden’s constant lies about his supposed helplessness to control the border, the American people clearly move decidedly to the political right on this macro issue. This polling data comes from TIPP Insight, a highly respected polling firm commissioned by my populist pro-laborer advocacy organization, the League of American Workers. The national survey questioned 1,720 registered voters, who split by +1% for Trump over Harris, exactly in line with the actual 2024 election returns.

The poll also asked specifically about migrants in America with criminal records, either in their own country, or here in America (in addition to the crime of trespassing into our country). Approval for deporting those aliens rises to a whopping +65%, with a 79%-14% margin. Among senior citizens, the public verdict is damn near unanimous, with a 93%-4% approval for deporting criminals immediately. Hispanics show 69% support for these deportations, political independents at 80% and even Kamala Harris Voters at 71% approval. 

So, Trump’s election victory was a mandate, winning every swing state and the national popular vote, the first Republican to do so in two decades. That groundswell was earned, largely, through a foundational focus on Biden’s out-of-control migration madness. So, the electoral wave translates into an immigration mandate, as verified by this decisive polling data. 

So, why have Americans moved so aggressively toward Trump and in favor of strict law enforcement regarding immigration? There are three primary reasons:

1. Biden’s Border Hoax – for the entirety of the Biden presidency, the White House and its amen chorus in the media constantly claimed that the president’s hands were tied on border security. He claimed, ad nauseum, that he actually wanted law-and-order, but needed new congressional action to secure our country. Now that Trump secures the border, only weeks into office, the fullness of that crass prevarication is laid bare before the country. 
2. The Economy – Americans still reel from Bidenomics generally, and specifically from the Biden Housing Affordability Crisis. Per Goldman Sachs, housing affordability reached the worst levels ever under Biden. An influx of millions of unvetted, unwelcome migrants put massive additional strain on that predicament of affordable apartments and homes. 
3. Public Safety – horrible cases of totally preventable violence clearly moved Americans who understandably worry about crimes that would never happen if the illegal alien perpetrators were not allowed into this country. Dreadful instances swayed public opinion, such as the brutal, daylight murder of Laken Riley on a seemingly safe college campus at the University of Georgia. In addition to shocking cases like Laken Riley’s more mundane crimes from illegals also permeate society, especially in large, so-called “sanctuary” cities, diminishing the quality of life for American citizens. 

Thankfully, help has arrived. As the Daily Caller’s Reagan Reese recently detailed on her trip to the southern border with Vice President JD Vance, this administration has made early and swift progress toward securing the border. Vance also promised to finish building the border wall by the end of this current term. It is a new day in America, and we once again control the flow of immigration to this country, in clear alignment with the expressed will of the citizens of our great republic.

Steve Cortes is senior political advisor to Catholic Vote and president of the League of American Workers, a populist right pro-laborer advocacy group. He is a former senior advisor to President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, plus a former commentator for Fox News and CNN.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.