With GOP President Donald Trump threatening to close our southern border with Mexico, a recent UtahPolicy.com poll finds that Utahns blame Trump and both parties in Congress for the stalemate on immigration policy reform.
In short, a pox upon all your houses.
Immigration officials – and Trump – say there is a “crisis” on the southern border, with so many immigrants trying to pass into the U.S. claiming asylum that their numbers can’t properly be dealt with.
Accordingly, Trump – who has already claimed his presidential “emergency” powers in an attempt to build a multi-billion-dollar wall along parts of the border – has threatened to close the boarder completely, no person or goods moving back and forth.
That could quickly prove to be both a humanitarian and economic disaster, Democrats say.
In any case, Utahns have clearly run out of patience with both Trump and Congress on the immigration issue.
Pollster Dan Jones & Associates finds:
= 41 percent of Utahns say Trump and both parties in Congress are to blame for not moving forward in immigration reform.
= 16 percent blame Trump, saying he alone is the problem with such reform.
= 2 percent blame Republicans in Congress – they are the majority in the Senate.
= 19 percent blame Democrats in Congress – they have the House majority and numbers to filibuster in the Senate.
= 19 percent blame both parties in Congress equally, but not the president.
= And 3 percent don’t know.
In reality, however, Trump has been at loggerheads with Democrats – and even a few congressional Republicans – over funding for the wall and/or other possible actions on immigration.
A government shutdown in December and January ended with little being done over immigration – with more battles over the issue looming this spring and summer.
DJA has found that Utah women dislike Trump and his policies more than do men. The immigration issue reflects that:
= Only 11 percent of men blame Trump alone for the immigration stalemate.
= But 20 percent of women do.
There is also an age difference on whom to blame for immigration woes:
= 20 percent of those 25-34 years old blame the president alone.
= But only 14 percent of seniors – 65 and older – blame the president.
= In both age groups, 41 percent blame Trump and both parties in Congress.
Of course, immigration, like so many other national issues, is highly partisan:
= Only 5 percent of Utah Republicans blame the president alone, only 1 percent blame congressional Republicans.
= 32 percent of Republicans blame Democrats in Congress, 22 percent blame Congress together, while 38 percent say all are to blame.
= 41 percent of Utah Democrats blame Trump alone, and 41 percent blame everyone involved.
= 22 percent of political independents blame Trump alone, while 20 percent blame Congress alone, and 46 percent blame everyone in D.C.
There is an education difference where Trump is concerned here:
= 20 percent of Utahns who hold a post-college degree, like attorney or CPA or MBA, say Trump alone is to blame for the immigration stalemate.
= But just 9 percent of those with only a high school degree blame the president.
UtahPolicy has been watching responses in the 4th Congressional District, as Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams is the only Democrat in the Utah delegation.
DJA finds:
= In the 4th District, 17 percent blame Trump alone for immigration woes.
= 3 percent blame congressional Republicans.
= 17 percent blame Democrats in Congress, actually a good number for McAdams in the GOP-leaning district.
= 16 percent blame both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
= While 47 percent, almost half, blame everyone on immigration.
So on immigration, a highly partisan issue overall, McAdams’ Democratic Party is not doing too badly among his constituents.
DJA polled 822 adult voters from Jan. 3-15. Statewide, the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.
In the 4th District DJA polled 203 voters, the margin of error plus or minus 6.9 percent.
