Most Favor Trump’s Halt to Immigration to Help U.S. Workers; Democrats Don’t

Most voters in general support President Trump’s temporary freeze on legal immigration to give Americans a better chance in the post-coronavirus job market. Most Democrats do not.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 57% of Likely U.S. Voters favor a temporary halt to most immigration because of the economic impact of the coronavirus. Thirty-one percent (31%) are opposed, while 13% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Fifty-two percent (52%) agree with the president’s rationale for the temporary freeze: “By pausing immigration, we will help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs. We must first take care of the American worker.” Thirty-eight percent (38%) disagree.

Eighty-two percent (82%) of Republicans think American workers should come first, but most Democrats (53%) disagree. Voters not affiliated with either major party are closely divided.

But then 85% of GOP voters and 53% of unaffiliateds support the temporary halt to most immigration, a position shared by just 34% of Democrats.

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted April 22-23, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports Weekly Immigration Index. 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.

The majority of voters in most demographic categories agree with the president’s temporary halt to most immigration because of the economic impact of the coronavirus.

Blacks (43%) are less supportive than whites (60%) and other minority voters (54%).

Those who are employed in the private sector are more supportive of the president’s temporary halt to immigration than government workers and entrepreneurs are. Fifty-six percent (56%) of private sector workers agree with putting unemployed Americans first in line for jobs, compared to just 41% of government employees.

Ninety-seven percent (97%) of those who Strongly Approve of the job Trump is doing support his temporary halt to most immigration. Among voters who Strongly Disapprove of the president’s job performance, only 23% agree.

Forty percent (40%) of all American Adults now say they or someone in their immediate family has lost their job because of the coronavirus outbreak.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has authorized $500 cash payments to all illegal immigrants in his state in response to the economic impact of the coronavirus, but voters aren’t keen on that idea in their home state.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

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