The Republican Presidential primary field will likely be winnowed by the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
And voters in these early states have made it clear: candidates who share their position on immigration and border security will be rewarded.
According to CBS News’s polling conducted November 15-19, 61% of Iowa GOP voters said that a GOP presidential candidate “must agree” with them on immigration while 37% said they were “okay with some differences.”
In Iowa, 81% of GOP voters felt that illegal immigrants “drive down Americans’ wages” while 19% did not. In addition, 89% felt that illegal immigrants have “broken the law and should be penalized or deported” while 11% did not. Another 88% believed that illegal immigrants “harm national security” while 12% did not.
Immigration patriots also predominate in the Granite State:
In New Hampshire, 63% of GOP voters said a candidate “must agree” with them on immigration while 37% were “okay with some differences.” Seventy-seven percent of GOP voters in the Granite State believed that illegal immigrants drive down wages while 23% did not. Another 86% felt that illegal immigrants have “broken the law and should be penalized” while 14% did not. And 83% believed that illegal immigrants “harm national security” while 17% disagreed.
Finally, in the first-in-the-south primary state of South Carolina:
In South Carolina, 64% of GOP voters said a candidate “must agree with them” on immigration compared to 42% on “faith and religion,” 71% on ISIS, and 54% on same-sex marriage. Seventy-seven percent of GOP voters in the Palmetto State believe that illegal immigrants “drive down Americans’ wages” while 90% believed that illegal immigrants “have broken the law and should be penalized or deported.” In addition, 83% felt that illegal immigrants “harm national security” while 17% disagreed. Trump leads in South Carolina with 35%, followed by Carson with 19%.
Immigration is becoming the key issue in the GOP race and those candidates who embrace amnesty are going to feel the heat.