A strong majority of voters support a temporary ban on refugees from unstable and violent countries, Rasmussen Reports found.
Nearly two-thirds of voters want the U.S. government to halt refugee resettlement until better controls to screen foreigners can be implemented, according to Rasmussen:
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 57 percent of Likely U.S. Voters favor a temporary ban on refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen until the federal government approves its ability to screen out potential terrorists form coming here. Thirty-three percent are opposed, while 10 percent are undecided.
Similarly, 56 percent favor a temporary block on visas prohibiting residents of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the United States until the government approves its ability to screen for likely terrorists. Thirty-two percent oppose this temporary ban, and 11 percent are undecided.
The non-partisan survey questions do not mention President Trump’s executive action issued on Friday:
“Do you favor or oppose a temporary ban on refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen until the federal government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists from coming here?”
“Do you favor or oppose a temporary block on visas prohibiting residents of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the United States until the federal government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists from coming here?”
Public sentiment is largely unchanged from August, when 59 percent of likely voters wanted a temporary immigration moratorium placed on countries who export terrorism. In September, 59 percent opposed failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s plan to dramatically increase the importation of Syrian refugees, while only 25 percent approved. Another poll conducted in August found only 36 percent of voters wanted to import thousands of Syrian refugees, including only 18 percent of Republicans.
These numbers reflect the broader public mood on extreme immigration levels. For example, another non-partisan poll found 54 percent of voters would like to see immigration levels halved or reduced to zero. Another 58 percent think illegal aliens should not be allowed to stay in the U.S. at all.
Rasmussen questioned 1,000 likely voters from Jan. 25 to Jan. 26, with margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.