Survey: Just 5 Percent of Americans Believe Feds Will Secure the Border

Only 5 percent of Americans believe the federal government will secure the border if comprehensive immigration reform is passed, a new Rasmussen Reports survey found.

A detective with the Bisbee Police Department and an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration patrol a fence line east of Naco, Ariz., after a Border Patrol agent was killed early Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012. (AP)

While most respondents said they want border security to play a prominent role in any type of immigration reform, few believe the federal government will actually enforce it.

The Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that just 25 percent of "likely" U.S. voters think it is even somewhat likely that the federal government will actually secure the border and prevent further illegal immigration if that’s part of new legislation.

Further, 65 percent said they consider it unlikely. Just 5 percent said the government is "very likely" to secure the border if it’s part of comprehensive legislation to give legal status to illegal aliens already in the country.

The survey stated that "confidence in the likelihood of the federal government actually securing the border fell to a previous low of 28 percent in late June, from a high of 45 percent in January."

Meanwhile, only 18 percent of respondents said they believe those who are currently in the U.S. illegally should be granted legal status right away, while 62 percent said legalization should come only after the border is secured.

These attitudes are unchanged from past surveys.

"Voters are evenly divided over the immigration plan passed by the U.S. Senate that would further secure the border and give most of those who entered the country illegally legal status to stay here," the survey states.

Forty percent favor such a plan, while another 40 percent oppose it, leaving 20 percent undecided.

In September, support for the plan was at 53 percent when voters were asked, “If you knew that the border would really be secured to prevent future illegal immigration, would you favor or oppose this plan?”

Twenty-nine percent of respondents said they think the House of Representatives should pass the comprehensive immigration reform plan already approved by the Senate, while 44 percent believe the House should review that legislation piece by piece and approve only the parts it likes.

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