By Jennifer Harper - The Washington Times - Thursday, September 10, 2015

It could be due to Republican front-runner Donald Trump's very public and pronounced distaste for illegal immigration and porous borders. It could be an increased public concern over terrorism on American soil, or the unsettling news from the National Border Patrol Council that only 40 percent of the U.S.-Mexico border is actually under the practical control of the U.S.

"Immigration has arguably attracted more attention than any other issue in the 2016 campaign thus far," says a new Gallup poll which reveals that 60 percent of voters now say immigration is an important factor of influence at the polls. A fifth of them also say they will only vote for a candidate who shares their personal view — a view more pronounced among both Republican and Latino voters, though their views on immigration differ a great deal.

Two polls this week also gauge public sentiment about securing the southern border. A YouGov survey found that 64 percent of Americans support building a barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border; 87 percent of Republicans, 65 percent of independents and 44 percent of Democrats agree — along with 49 percent of Hispanic respondents.

A Monmouth University poll released Thursday also addressed the border concern.

"Public opinion is divided on the specific issue of building a wall along the border with Mexico — 48 percent favor this while 43 percent are opposed," the poll stated, noting that 73 percent of Republicans, 47 percent of independents and 31 percent of Democrats agree that a barrier must be built.

"There is a clear partisan divide on how to deal with illegal immigration. Proposing a crackdown may help win the Republican nomination, but it's not clear this would play as well in the general election," points out Patrick Murray, director of the university's Polling Institute.

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