DES MOINES, Iowa: Young Hispanics, Asian-Americans and African-Americans are much more likely to trust Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump to deal with immigrants living in the United States illegally. But young whites tend to trust Trump more on issues related to illegal immigration, including securing the border.
Among young people overall, 47 percent say they think Trump would better handle securing the border, 26 percent say Clinton would, and 18 percent say neither.
That’s according to a new GenForward survey of adults age 18 to 30 by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. There’s division on which candidate would better handle immigrants in the country now without permission, with 39 percent choosing Clinton, 38 percent Trump and 14 percent neither.
On all those questions there are divisions based on race and ethnicity.
Among young whites, more say that Trump would better handle securing the border than Clinton, by a 57 percent to 19 percent margin, while 49 percent say Trump would deal with immigrants who are currently living in the U.S. illegally, versus 31 percent for Clinton.
“We have issues from ISIS types, also we have a lot of illegal immigrants that are taking away from people and we allow them to take government money,” said Chase Anderson, 25, of Spokane, Wash., who is white and thinks Trump would do better on border security.
Significantly more young Hispanics, African-Americans and Asian-Americans say Clinton would better handle immigrants who are already in the country illegally. Each of those groups is closely divided on which candidate would better handle securing the border.
Reese Toney, 24, of Glen Allen, Va., said he was from a mixed race background, noting that he had Hispanic, Italian and African-American roots and his grandfather was originally from Mexico. On border security he said, “I have to say Hillary would do a better job than Trump because Trump would just alienate and agitate the countries around us.”
Trump has made immigration, including his plans to build a border wall and deport people in the country illegally, a central issue of his presidential bid. Clinton would offer a path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally and defend President Barack Obama’s executive orders that defer action against children.
Young people overall are also supportive of greater efforts to secure the border. Sixty-one percent of all young adults, including 66 percent of whites, 65 percent of Asian-Americans, and 57 percent of African-Americans, say they support increasing government spending on security and enforcement at U.S. borders. Young Hispanics are nearly evenly divided, with 47 percent in support to 52 percent opposed.
Still, 69 percent of young people, including majorities from each racial and ethnic group, oppose building a border wall to stop illegal immigration.