Trump administration measures to pressure Mexico to halt the flow of asylum seekers traversing their country are sparking a surge in support among Mexicans for cracking down on illegal immigration.
In a report from Mexico City, Univision correspondent Alejandro Madrigal cited a new poll by the Mexican newspaper El Universal that indicates that since October 2018, the percent of Mexicans who believe the Mexican government should prevent unauthorized immigrants from entering and crossing through their country has climbed from 49% to 61%.
ALEJANDRO MADRIGAL, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: In Mexico, the presence of the immigrants is now starting to become irritating. Six out of every 10 Mexicans agree that the Government should prevent them from crossing, and only one in ten people think they should be allowed to travel freely through the country. This according to a survey in the Mexican newspaper El Universal.
FIRST UNIDENTIFIED MAN ON THE STREET: Stop them and return them in a dignified way, not... not with violence.
SECOND UNIDENTIFIED MAN ON THE STREET: I would simply not let them go through because, as I mentioned, we already have enough problems of our own.
The report opened a surprising window on the strong support that exists among rank and file Mexicans for stricter immigration law enforcement and curtailing the heavy flow of Central Americans that have been entering Mexico in recent months.
The poll also found that 54% of Mexicans are opposed to their government offering work visas to the asylum-seeking wave of Central Americans flooding into their country. The same poll also found that 47% of Mexicans believe President Trump will deliver on his threats to impose tariffs on Mexican imports, while 21% do not.
The referenced poll was taken in person between June 3-7, 2019 among 1,000 Mexican citizens, and has a 3% margin of error.
Click Expand to read the transcript of the full report, as aired on the June 12, 2019 late night edition of Noticiero Univision.
ARANTXA LOIZAGA, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: In Mexico, the policy of President Trump to indiscriminately expel undocumented immigrants in the United States has generated a lot of criticism. But now, according to a survey from the newspaper El Universal, 44 percent of those who participated in this poll believe that President López Obrador ought to expel from Mexico all the migrants who are there irregularly. Alejandro Madrigal takes up the issue.
ALEJANDRO MADRIGAL, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: In Mexico, the presence of the immigrants is now starting to become irritating. Six out of every 10 Mexicans agree that the Government should prevent them from crossing, and only one in ten people think they should be allowed to travel freely through the country. This according to a survey in the Mexican newspaper El Universal.
FIRST UNIDENTIFIED MAN ON THE STREET: Stop them and return them in a dignified way, not... not with violence.
SECOND UNIDENTIFIED MAN ON THE STREET: I would simply not let them go through because, as I mentioned, we already have enough problems of our own.
MADRIGAL: According to the survey, 44 percent of Mexicans believe that the government of President Andres Manuel López Obrador should immediately expel immigrants from the country, and 57 percent do not believe the Government should allow them into the national territory. In the Government of Mexico there are also beginning to appear differences with the measures being taken to stop immigrants on the southern border. Among them, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Porfirio Muñoz Ledo.
PORFIRIO MUÑOZ LEDO, PRESIDENT, MEXICAN CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES: Yesterday the National Guard agents left to put our wall. Because that’s what it is, the National Guard that was created to fight criminals, not to fight immigrants.
MADRIGAL: The survey also asks Mexicans about the permits that the Mexican Government grants to immigrants so that they can work in this country. 57 percent are opposed. The topic of the tariffs was also included. To avoid them, the Mexican Government will strengthen the northern border.
ALEJANDRO ENCINAS, UNDERSECRETARY OF GOVERNMENT: No, I hope and calculate that in the coming months we will top more than 50-thousand people.
MADRIGAL: Although 47 percent of Mexicans believe that President Trump will deliver on his threat to impose tariffs on Mexican imports. President López Obrador has insisted that he will not enter into conflict with the government of the United States. But 90 percent of Mexicans are asking him to answer each and every aggressions made by Donald Trump, according to the survey. In Mexico City, Alejandro Madrigal, Univision.
