Proximity to the Border and Border Fortifications’ Impact on Immigration Attitudes

Abstract

Border fortifications are a common tool for states to deal with mass migration and security concerns, encouraging scholars to understand the causes and consequences of these changes. We ask how individuals’ distance to state borders and the level of fortifications at that border influences public opinion on immigration. We argue that those who live closer to borders have increased interaction with migrants, which makes them more supportive of open migration policies. However, border fortifications serve as a mediating factor for this relationship, with greater fortifications increasing perceived cultural distance between the resident and migrant, furthering the gap in immigration attitudes. Using data from the Integrated Values Survey, we find that greater distance from the border decreases favorability towards migrants, but overall, fortifications do not. However, we find evidence indicating that border fortifications moderate the influence of border distance. Lastly, we do find that depending on the topic at hand, border distance and border fortifications can serve as either a moderator or amplifier of the role of ideology in immigration attitudes. These findings highlight the role of border fortifications and geography in immigration attitudes, complicating the existing literature while highlighting the role of the state in influencing public opinion.