Immigration remains at the forefront of much of the debate surrounding the presidential nominee process. But, just how crucial is it to elevating one of the many candidates running? Recent polls show Americans see the immigration debate as crucial, but not enough to sway them on a candidate.

Following his campaign announcement earlier in the summer, Donald Trump incensed the Latino community by calling undocumented Mexican immigrants "drug dealers and rapists." His vitriolic stance on immigration, particularly concerning undocumented immigrants, continues to drive his campaign, propelling him toward the top of polls among the Republican presidential candidates.

However, a Monmouth University poll shows Trump's immigration platform is not entirely favorable among Americans. Among his three points, Trump touts the need for a wall at the border with Mexico; however, Americans are split on the need for such a structure.

The poll found 48 percent of Americans surveyed favored the wall, while 43 percent opposed it. Yet, when answers were split by party affiliation, the contrast became stark, with 73 percent of Republicans favoring the wall, while only 31 percent of Democrats feel the same. Independents came close to the middle with 47 percent support.

Americans, regardless of party affiliation, also do not believe the rhetoric saying undocumented immigrants are more prone to commit violent crimes. 56 percent of Republicans polled said undocumented immigrants were just as likely to commit crimes as American citizens. Democrats and independents were both almost ten points higher on the same opinion. But, the issue of immigration remains a prominent one in this election.

A Gallup poll released on Sept. 9 found that 60 percent of respondents considered immigration an important factor in the elections. However, only 20 percent said they would vote for a candidate that shared his or her views. The numbers show immigration will remain at the forefront of the election, but will not usurp the position of other important issues, such as the Iran deal and the economy.

The number of Republicans who view immigration as crucial in the election could continue to affect the Republican presidential nomination process. Trump, like Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Dr. Ben Carson, support ending birthright citizenship. And the topic of immigration will continue to be debated among Republicans. Gallup found 27 percent of Republicans would vote only for a candidate who shared his or her view on the issue, higher than both independents and Democrats.

Monmouth University's poll also found Republicans place a greater emphasis on immigration. 66 percent said they believe it is a very serious problem, while only 42 percent and 33 percent of independents and Democrats respectively thought the same.

With the next Republican presidential debate slated for Sept. 16 on CNN, immigration is sure to come up again.