Fifty-seven percent of 1,000 likely voters approve of President Donald Trump’s temporary halt to some forms of immigration, says a Rasmussen poll conducted April 22-23.
Fifty-seven percent of men and 56 percent of women supported Trump’s unprecedented action to change immigration rules in favor of American job-seekers during the coronavirus epidemic.
The policy question — “Do you favor or oppose a temporary halt to most immigration?” — was approved by 59 percent of younger people, 85 percent of Republicans, 34 percent of Democrats, and 43 percent of black Americans.
The American-first policy was also applauded by 62 percent of people who “somewhat disapprove” of Trump and by 23 percent of people who “strongly disapprove” of Trump.
Overall, just 31 percent of respondents — including just 53 percent of Democrats — opposed the jobs-for-Americans proclamation.
The Rasmussen poll may have understated support for Trump’s policy, partly because media-magnified criticism and political divisiveness causes some respondents to hide their opinions. For example, 13 percent of all respondents said they were “not sure” about Trump’s policy. But only two percent of Republicans picked the “not sure” option, while 18 percent of Democrats and 19 percent of “other” hid their views with “not sure” answers.
Rasmussen Poll
The pattern of strong support for Trump’s policy weakened when voters were asked a more specific question: “By pausing immigration, we will help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs. We must first take care of the American worker.”
The specific policy got just 42 percent support from people who “somewhat disapprove” of Trump and 18 percent from people who “strongly disapprove.”
But the approval rate among women moved only slightly downwards, from 56 percent to 53 percent.
The strongest opposition to Trump came from the media-magnified establishment alliance of woke progressives and wealthy employers.
Trump’s April 22 policy was disapproved by 48 percent of liberals, 46 percent of people who earn above $200,000, by 43 of post-graduates, 42 percent of “entrepreneur” employers, and — only — 56 percent of people who “strongly disapprove” of Trump.
Rasmussen’s panel of 1,000 likely voters seems to be a reasonable sample of the 2020 electorate.
Just 33 percent describe themselves as Republicans, while 37 percent said they are Democrats. White Americans comprised only 69 percent of the sample, alongside 13 percent black Americans and 18 percent “other.”
The Rasmussen poll matches prior surveys that show that Americans generously want to welcome migrants and rationally want companies to hire Americans before importing workers.
These polls show that the public strongly objects to companies hiring foreign workers before American employees. For example, an August 2017 poll reported that 68 percent of Americans oppose companies’ use of H-1B visa workers to outsource U.S.-based jobs that could be held by Americans.
Rasmussen reported:
When businesses say they are having trouble finding Americans to take jobs in construction, manufacturing, hospitality and other service work, 63% of voters say it is better for the country if these businesses raise the pay and try harder to recruit non-working Americans even if it causes prices to rise … Just 23% disagree and say it’s better for the country if the government brings in new foreign workers to help keep business costs and prices down. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided.
Twenty-eight percent (28%) feel that Congress should increase the number of foreign workers taking higher-skill U.S. jobs. Fifty-five percent (55%) think the country already has enough talented people to train and recruit for most of those jobs. Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure.
The public’s welcome for foreigners understandably drops in crises. For example, Ipsos showed that the public support for stopping immigration from risky countries rose from 76 percent to 79 percent as China’s virus spread through the nation from March to April.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.