In a recent poll conducted by Harvard University of all places, 80 percent of all voters say the United States needs a secure border — including 68 percent of Democratic Party voters. Meanwhile, 79 percent of voters polled by Harvard want immigration status to be conferred to those who have the “ability to contribute to America” (with 87 percent of Republicans and 72 percent of Democrats agreeing with that claim). Essentially, despite what the punditariat may claim, President Donald Trump is on the right side of one of the most pressing issues of our time.

This comes on the heels of another tragic story involving the murder of a police officer conducting a routine traffic stop in California at the hands of an illegal immigrant. One of the most striking differences between this tragedy and similar ones involving illegal immigrants murdering peace officers is the fact that the policeman in question was himself an immigrant. In this case, Corporal Ronil Singh of the Newman Police Department, a legal immigrant and proud father of a young, baby boy, was slain by an illegal immigrant known to law enforcement, who possessed a long record of criminal gang activity and other nefarious connections. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party’s sanctuary city policy in California prevented law enforcement from contacting the federal immigration authorities to begin deportation proceedings.

Corporal Singh would still be alive today — living the American Dream as so many of his friends and neighbors said of him — had it not been for Democratic Party orthodoxy. The dominant opinion among the elite in the United States is that those who desire stronger immigration enforcement and border security are somehow throwbacks to a bygone era; they must be white supremacists seeking to maintain their monopoly on political power or something. Yet, Corporal Singh is just the most recent in a long line of innocent Americans who have suffered because of the destructive immigration policies of the Democratic Party (as well as their enablers in the Republican Party establishment).

Presently, the federal government is undergoing a purportedly devastating shutdown (at least that’s what my Swamp Dwelling neighbors tell me in Alexandria, Virginia) mainly because the Republican Party couldn’t get its act together (what else is new?) You see, the GOP was given a great gift by the American voter: they were granted dominion over the United States House of Representatives, the Senate, and the presidency in 2016. Yet, don’t tell that to the Republican establishment. After dominating every aspect of government for two years, the GOP has little to show for their monumental electoral victory in 2016.

Donald J. Trump is hated even more by the Republican establishment than he is by the Democrats. That has become apparent as the “leadership” of outgoing Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has overseen the greatest legislative retreat in history. Given all of the advantages that being in the majority offers, Ryan squandered every single one of them — from repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) to building the wall. Because the GOP could not maintain a decisive record of legislative victories over the last two years, particularly on things that have long animated the Right (such as immigration enforcement), the voters awarded the Democratic Party control of the House of Representatives.

With just a single week left, the Republicans could have done something to further the cause of immigration enforcement that a majority of American voters clearly support. Unfortunately, though, the cowards have opted instead to adhere to the wishes of the oligarchs who fund most Republican political activities these days. The GOP has decided to allow the clock to run down and Donald Trump, the president that most of them hate with extreme prejudice (more than the Democrats do), to look bad. Trump has lived up to his campaign promises of fighting for a border wall and he has enforced tougher immigration policies than his predecessors ever could have dreamed. If Trump had his way, the murder of Corporal Singh would not have occurred because his government would have deported Singh’s murderer (and those like him) out of the country long ago.

Unfortunately, Trump (and, therefore, 89 percent of American voters) could not simply have his way on the matter of immigration enforcement. Instead, the Republican Party opted to spend the last two years waxing eloquent on the need to give the wealthy more tax cuts while crafting every excuse imaginable to prevent the border wall from being built while undermining any serious attempt at immigration enforcement. Now, the president stands alone during the holiday season’s government shutdown. The Republican Party leadership has fled the capital while whinging to the press that Trump should have signed a spending bill to keep the government funded through the new year — thereby surrendering to The Swamp and abandoning any hope of getting the necessary funding to build his border wall.

It is the GOP, more than the Democratic Party, that is the greatest impediment to the Trump immigration program. This is odd, considering how popular the Trump immigration policies are with the American electorate — notably the Republican Party’s base. The president must live up to his promises to keep the government shut down until he gets funding for his wall. Not only would it be a great symbolic victory, but it would also be a serious win in the fight to curb illegal immigration. After all, each country that has built border walls or fences has seen significant drop-offs in illegal immigration — even in places like San Diego.

The president cannot give up on his promises to keep the government closed indefinitely. Even if he cannot keep the government shutdown, at least the president will have proven that he is the only one fighting for We, The People in Washington, D.C. Everyone else up here wants open border anarchy and endless sacrifices of innocent Americans on the altar of political correctness. Enough is enough. No matter what happens, Trump must hold strong on this critical issue. Despite having lost the House in 2018, at least the GOP expanded their grip on the Senate. Trump has supreme bargaining power and he must, therefore, be willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that the Democrats and their enablers in the GOP establishment do not undermine the president’s stance.

Without a wall, a key portion of the president’s agenda will be undone. If that is the case, then Trump will increasingly look like just another politician to the Everyman who voted for Trump in 2016. He must press ahead and ensure that he is seen as having fought hard to get his wall, consequences be damned. This may sound like petty politics, but immigration will be the defining issue of the 2020 race and Trump already has proven that he has a decisive advantage in this area. Trump cannot waver, even in the face of horrible GOP opposition. Ultimately, the GOP is not on Trump’s side any more than the Democrats are. If Trump cannot deliver on key victories heading into 2020, he will be seen as weak and vulnerable.

America needs a real border wall now.

Brandon J. Weichert can be reached via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.