Poll: Nearly half of Canadians support increasing deportations of undocumented immigrants

Nearly half of Canadian adults believe the nation should ramp up deportations of those who have illegally crossed its border, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll out Monday.

Forty-six percent said they opposed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s handling of increased numbers of undocumented immigrants crossing into Canada through the U.S., while only 37 percent supported his decision and 17 percent did not state an opinion. Forty-eight percent said they were in favor of ramping up deportations of those who entered the country illegally.

That signals a stark increase from a separate Ipsos poll in January, which found that 59 percent supported Trudeau’s policies, and 41 percent disagreed. 

{mosads}The poll’s findings come as Canada faces an influx of undocumented immigrants from Mexico, who are leaving the U.S. amid fears of President Trump’s long-promised crackdown on illegal immigration.

Between Jan. 1 and March 8, Canadian border authorities detained 444 Mexican nationals crossing into the country, according to an analysis by Reuters, surpassing the annual totals of 2014, 2015 and 2016.

About 41 percent of Canadians surveyed said the increased border crossings made Canada less safe, while slightly more, 46 percent, said the surge had no effect on security.

The poll shows a growing divide among Canadians, who have long shared support for high immigration levels. Among those most supportive of increasing deportations were men, older people with higher incomes and adults without college degrees.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,001 people 18 years or older online in both English and French.