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Commentary
Wall Street Journal

Political Stability Requires a Secure Border

walter_russell_mead
walter_russell_mead
Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship
US Border guards deter illegal migrants as they try to cut the razor wire fences put up by the Texas National Guard in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on March 22, 2024. (Christian Torres via Getty Images)
Caption
US Border guards deter illegal migrants as they try to cut the razor wire fences put up by the Texas National Guard in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on March 22, 2024. (Christian Torres via Getty Images)

As the 2024 presidential campaign heats up, American attitudes toward migrants and migration are turning more negative. A March 2024 found that immigration was the issue voters most frequently mentioned spontaneously as the top problem facing the country. An conducted last month found that 64% of respondents supported hiring more Border Patrol agents, 53% wanted to reduce the number of asylum applicants, and 42% wanted a wall.

The U.S. isn’t the only place where border security is a hot political issue. The Dominican Republic is building a across the island of Hispaniola to seal off its border with Haiti. Migrants crossing the English Channel have become a political challenge for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s beleaguered Conservatives in Britain. From Sweden to Spain, far-right anti-immigrant parties appear poised to make big gains in June’s elections to the European Parliament.

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