Title: Immigration Tops List of Priorities for Trump, Americans Anticipate Mass Deportations
Washington, D.C. - A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted post-election has revealed that a significant portion of Americans view immigration as the foremost issue for President-elect Donald Trump to tackle in his initial days in office. The survey, which closed Thursday, indicates that 25% of respondents believe immigration should be Trump’s top priority during his first 100 days following the January 20 inauguration.
The poll, which surveyed 1,471 adults nationwide, found that 82% of respondents expect Trump to initiate mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. This expectation spans across party lines with similar sentiments from both Democrats and Republicans. However, while 82% of Democrats and 40% of independents expressed concern over such a policy, about 90% of Republicans showed no concern.
During his campaign, Trump promised a stringent crackdown on immigration, including the potential deportation of millions, with his running mate JD Vance suggesting an operation that could see up to one million deportations per year. Trump has repeatedly highlighted crimes allegedly committed by undocumented immigrants, despite research indicating that immigrants do not commit crimes at a higher rate than native-born citizens.
The proposed deportation strategy involves extensive cooperation, potentially involving the U.S. military, diplomats, and Republican-led states, with federal funding possibly used as leverage against non-cooperative jurisdictions. Immigrant rights groups have criticized these plans, labeling them as costly, divisive, and inhumane.
In an interview with NBC News, Trump emphasized his commitment to these deportation efforts, stating that the financial cost was irrelevant to the necessity of the action. "It’s not a question of a price tag. It’s not — really, we have no choice," Trump remarked.
The poll also highlighted a partisan divide on the logistics of these deportations. A significant 58% of Republicans supported the idea of detaining undocumented immigrants in camps pending deportation hearings, whereas only 15% of Democrats agreed, with 75% of Democrats and 31% of Republicans opposing this approach.
Legal challenges are expected, particularly concerning Trump's plan to utilize the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations of alleged gang members. This law, historically invoked during times of war, could face significant legal scrutiny.
The results of this online poll come with a margin of error of 3 percentage points overall, and 5 points when considering Republican and Democratic respondents separately. As Trump prepares to take office, the nation watches closely to see how his administration will address these divisive issues.