Most Utahns support sending National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border according to a new UtahPolicy.com survey.
60% of Utahns say they support using troops to help patrol the border. 27% say they “strongly” support the move while 33% are “somewhat” supportive. 36% of Utahns say they oppose sending troops, while 4% don’t know.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has not sent any National Guard troops to help patrol the border, but previously said they were “standing by” to head south if called upon.
President Donald Trump asked states to send National Guard troops to the border to back up the border patrol until his proposed border wall is in place. Several states have complied, but many of those troops are not participating in apprehending immigrants who attempt to cross the border illegally.
Earlier this week, 11 governors announced they were removing their National Guard troops from the border area because of the Trump administration’s policy of separating children from families attempting to cross into the United States. Trump ended that policy via executive order on Wednesday.
Younger Utahns are more opposed to sending National Guard troops to the border than their older counterparts, which is not surprising since younger residents would be more likely to be in military service, and thus more likely to be sent for duty on the border.
- 18-24-year-olds oppose sending troops to the border by a 48-42% margin.
- 50% of 25-34-year-olds oppose sending troops to the border, while 46% are in favor.
- 35-44-year-olds favor sending Guard troops south by a 61-34% tally.
- 45-54-year-olds favor military intervention on the border 60-37%.
- 64% of Utahns between 55 and 64-years-old favor using Guard troops to the border.
- 65% of Utahns over the age of 65 support using troops on the border.
There’s a massive partisan divide on the issue in Utah according to our poll.
- Republicans favor using National Guard troops on the US-Mexico border 77-19%.
- Democrats are extremely opposed to the idea, with 76% against using the military on the border.
- Political independents support the militarization of the border, with 54% saying they approve of the idea and 43% opposed.
The Dan Jones & Associates survey was conducted May 15-25, 2018 among 615 likely Utah voters. It has a margin of error +/- 4.0%.
