Dear Editor:

Last week a letter to the editor made some interesting claims about border security and illegal immigration. Unfortunately the numbers cited were either out of date or simply wrong. No source for the numbers was given. However, a Monmouth University poll conducted Feb. 8-12, 2024 reveals very different results: 84% of Americans feel that illegal immigration is a Very Serious or Somewhat Serious problem, including 61% who say it is "Very Serious." 53% of Americans polled support building a border wall, 61% say that those seeking asylum should be required to stay in Mexico while their claims are being processed, and a solid plurality of 47% say the recent immigration bill was "Not tough enough" in dealing with illegal immigration. 

This is not an issue limited to Texas and the southern border. Last year U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a 178% increase in immigration arrests on the Maine border. The acting chief of the US Border Patrol Houlton Sector, Dennis Harmon, told NewsCenter 6 last fall that there are "absolutely" criminal organizations tied to the illegal crossings in Maine. US Attorney for the District of Maine Darcie McElwee said that "We simply don't know the individuals that we are not catching, that aren't being apprehended."

I support legal immigration and think that we should simplify that process somewhat, but we must secure our borders and put a stop to the flood of illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and human trafficking that currently is pouring into our country and our state.

Bill Hunt

Southport