Mothers' Views on the Secure the Border Act (S.2824)
January 31, 2024
Rapid Poll

In January 2024, Count on Mothers examined mothers' views on the Secure the Border Act (S.2824), federal legislation addressing border security, asylum procedures, and immigration enforcement. Drawing on a nationally representative sample of mothers across regions and the political spectrum, the survey captured firsthand perspectives on the bill's security measures, technology investments, and provisions affecting children. Mothers expressed mixed overall views on the legislation, with strong support for specific security and technology provisions and more divided opinion on enforcement provisions, alongside clear ideological patterns in how mothers approached the bill's components.

Related themes:
No items found.
    • 80% of mothers support real-time access to international criminal history databases for U.S. border background checks — the highest-agreement component of the bill.
    • 73% of mothers support improvements to border technology and staffing.
    • 60% of mothers believe the Secure the Border Act would have a positive overall impact on the safety, health, or well-being of children and families. 23% were unsure; 17% disagreed.
    • Provisions affecting unaccompanied children received the lowest support. Mothers were closely divided on the bill's provision for the removal of unaccompanied children who are not trafficking victims and do not fear return — supported by 51% overall, with substantial divergence across political ideology.
    • Clear ideological patterns emerged across the bill's components. Conservative and very conservative mothers largely supported all provisions; liberal and very liberal mothers were more divided. Moderate mothers showed higher levels of uncertainty across most provisions.

Source: Count on Mothers, Mothers' Views on the Secure the Border Act (S.2824), January 2024. Nationally representative survey of U.S. mothers, n=785, weighted across political ideology and region. Research led by a PhD-credentialed researcher.

Research Library

Explore Count on Mothers reports — rapid polls and in-depth national studies.

Methodology
Count on Mothers conducts nationally representative research with U.S. mothers, weighted to reflect the population and reported in aggregate. Research is led by a PhD + MPH team. Findings have informed policy, industry, and media, and entered the Congressional Record on childcare, paid leave, and technology policy.
In-depth

Mothers' Views on the House Bipartisan Paid Leave Working Group Framework

In February 2024, Count on Mothers examined mothers' views on the House Bipartisan Paid Leave Working Group's federal Paid Family Leave Framework. Drawing on a nationally representative sample of mothers across regions and the political spectrum, the survey captured firsthand perspectives on each pillar of the framework: a federal pilot program, state program standardization, small business pooling plans, expanded paid leave tax credits, and a national paid leave guarantee. Mothers showed strong cross-partisan support for every provision in the framework — with majority agreement across every ideological group on all five components.
February 29, 2024
View Report →
Rapid Poll

Mothers' Views on the Secure the Border Act (S.2824)

In January 2024, Count on Mothers examined mothers' views on the Secure the Border Act (S.2824), federal legislation addressing border security, asylum procedures, and immigration enforcement. Drawing on a nationally representative sample of mothers across regions and the political spectrum, the survey captured firsthand perspectives on the bill's security measures, technology investments, and provisions affecting children. Mothers expressed mixed overall views on the legislation, with strong support for specific security and technology provisions and more divided opinion on enforcement provisions, alongside clear ideological patterns in how mothers approached the bill's components.
January 31, 2024
View Report →
Rapid Poll

Mothers' Views on the GOSAFE Act (S.3369)

In December 2023–January 2024, Count on Mothers examined mothers' views on the GOSAFE Act (S.3369), federal legislation regulating gas-operated semi-automatic firearms. Combining a national survey of mothers across regions and the political spectrum with in-depth interviews, the study captured perspectives on fixed-capacity restrictions, federal manufacturing regulation, conversion device bans, and a voluntary buy-back program. Mothers identified gun violence as a serious crisis affecting children and families — with broad support for the bill among liberal and moderate mothers, more divided views among conservative mothers, and differing emphases on solutions.
January 15, 2024
View Report →
In-depth

Mothers’ Views on the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA)

In 2023, Count on Mothers conducted three studies on two landmark federal bills addressing children's safety on social media: the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA) and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Drawing on surveys of mothers across regions and the political spectrum, supplemented by an in-depth focus group, the studies captured firsthand views on minimum age requirements, algorithmic protections, data privacy, parental notification, and independent oversight of social media companies. Mothers showed near-universal cross-partisan support for both bills — with 96% saying KOSMA should become law and 98% supporting federal requirements to protect minors' data and remove addictive features. A consistent theme emerged: mothers view these bills not as a replacement for parental involvement, but as a structural safeguard for spaces families cannot monitor alone.
December 15, 2023
View Report →
To learn more about partnerships, visit Partner With Us
Exploring how independent benchmark data could inform your work?
Partner With Us