49 percent of Americans agree with President Trump's immigration executive order

Contrary to what widespread protests at airports over the weekend may suggest, more Americans support President Trump's executive order on immigration than disagree with it. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday found that 49 percent of Americans either "strongly" or "somewhat" agree with Trump's order banning people from seven predominantly Muslim nations from entering the U.S. On the flip side, 41 percent "strongly" or "somewhat" disagree with the order. Ten percent said they weren't sure what to think.
The difference of opinion was split almost straight down party lines, Reuters noted. While 51 percent of Republicans said they "strongly agree" with Trump's order, 53 percent of Democrats said they "strongly disagree."
Americans were divided on whether the order made them feel safer (31 percent said yes and 26 percent said no), and on whether Trump's policy set a "good example" for fighting terrorism (38 percent said it did, while 41 percent said it set a "bad example"). One thing Americans did seem to agree on, however, is that America should not show preference for Christian refugees: Fifty-six percent said they did not think the country should "welcome Christian refugees, but not Muslim ones."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The poll was conducted online from Jan. 30-31 among 1,201 people, including 453 Democrats and 478 Republicans. Its margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the entire sample, and plus or minus 5 percentage points for Republicans and Democrats.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
July 6 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include paying for school lunch by enlisting, and the banality of evil
-
5 biting editorial cartoons about 'Alligator Alcatraz'
Cartoons Artists take on dangerous green things, historical precedent, and more
-
A journey into the deep past on beautiful Arran
The Week Recommends New Unesco Global Geopark played a 'key role' in the birth of modern geological science
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami