A new poll reveals that 52 percent of Americans want illegals deported as soon as possible, with the added suggestion that Mexico foot the bill for transportation costs, the Washington Examiner reports.
The poll, conducted by Rasmussen Reports, found that 53 percent of Americans want to hold Mexico — in addition to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras — financially responsible for the waves of illegals pouring over the borders.
Most Americans also blamed the president for poor handling of the border situation, a situation which 75 percent of Americans are closely following in the news.
Not only did 46 percent of Americans think the situation was the president’s fault, 46 percent also held the view that the Obama administration actively “encouraged this wave of illegal immigration.”
One of the central disputes is whether deteriorating conditions in South America are causing the recent flood of illegal immigration, or whether President Barack Obama’s deferred action program is instead to blame.
Only 28 percent of Americans polled responded that the administration gets good or excellent grades for the way the border crisis has been handled.
The poll follows in the wake of Idaho Republican Rep. Raul Labrador arguing on Sunday that the administration needs to act immediately to protect the integrity of the borders. “The thing this administration needs to do is immediately deport these families, these children,” Labrador said. “I know it sounds harsh, I know it sounds difficult. But they’re creating a crisis.”
Labrador was part of the bipartisan group last year that failed to negotiate a package for immigration reform.
“The violence has existed in these Central American countries for a long period of time. The level of poverty has existed in these Central American countries for a long period of time,” he said. “But it’s over these last two years that you have seen an increase in the number of children coming to the United States.”