In his latest NY Times Column, Thomas Friedman writes “On April 12, I toured the busiest border crossing between America and Mexico — the San Ysidro Port of Entry, in San Diego — and the walls being built around it.Guided by a U.S. Border Patrol team, I also traveled along the border right down to where the newest 18-foot-high slatted steel barrier ends and the wide-open hills and craggy valleys beckoning drug smugglers, asylum seekers and illegal immigrants begin.It’s a very troubling scene.The whole day left me more certain than ever that we have a real immigration crisis and that the solution is a high wall with a big gate — but a smart gate.Without a high wall, too many Americans will lack confidence that we can control our borders, and they therefore will oppose the steady immigration we need.”

On CNN last night, Friedman further elaborated on his stance, saying “I’m as radically pro-immigration as they come.But it’s pretty clear to me that unless we can assure a significant number of Americans that we can control our border, we’re never going to have the proper immigration flow I think we need, we desire, and that we have actually a moral responsibility — given our history as a nation of immigrants, and a refuge for people fleeing persecution.”

Wolf Blitzer followed up by pointing out that what Friedman is saying is basically what Trump want.Friedman said “I think you got to control the border.When you have an increase of illegal apprehensions of illegal entries of 374% since October, obviously you've got a situation where the border security is not sufficient and that's going to drive people who we should want to be pro-immigration against immigration.Democrats have been willing to fund more border security, okay. I'm for a high wall with a big gate, a compassionate, a smart gate so we could keep immigration going...if people think can just walk into this country, they're not going to support the immigration that we need.”