A poll released Thursday shows that a majority of voters in general, and immigrants specifically, support Republican nominee Donald Trump’s proposal to subject immigrants to an ideological test.
On Monday, Trump called for “extreme vetting” of immigrants seeking to come from the U.S from certain countries. “The time is overdue to develop a new screening test,” the GOP nominee said in a speech.
“Those who do not believe in our constitution or who support bigotry and hatred will not be admitted for immigration into our country. Only those who we expect to flourish in our country and to embrace a tolerant american society should be issued visas,” Trump said.
A Morning Consult poll found that 62 percent of voters supported this proposal. A majority of immigrants, 61 percent, also supported it, as did 64 percent of first-generation immigrants polled. Just 29 percent of immigrants were opposed to Trump’s idea. (RELATED: Americans Have Grown To Like The Idea Of A Temporary Ban On Muslims)
The poll found that first-generation immigrants supported Trump’s proposal to temporary halt immigration from countries with a history of terrorism “until the vetting process can be fixed” at a higher rate that voters in general. Fifty-nine percent of registered voters support the proposal, 52 percent of immigrant voters do and 68 percent of registered first-generation voters support Trump’s plan.
Immigrants also supported Trump’s call to end “nation-building” more than the general electorate. Forty-nine percent of immigrants supported an end to “nation-building,” while 42 percent of voters in general agreed.
The poll was conducted between August 16 and August 17 and was of 2,001 registered voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percent.