Two-Thirds of Voters Back the U.S. Refugee Program: Poll shows

Refugee

Written By The Refugee Advocacy Lab

Majorities of Democrats (78%), Independents (66%), and Republicans (55%) say the U.S. should have a refugee program. 

Voters also oppose the administration's escalating immigration enforcement and overwhelmingly agree (76%) on a path to citizenship for immigrants.

WASHINGTON, D.C. Oct 8  — New polling from Data for Progress, the Refugee Advocacy Lab, and Refugees International finds that voters across party lines still strongly support the U.S. refugee program, oppose current U.S. immigration enforcement policies, and overwhelmingly support a path to citizenship for immigrants. 

The polling shows how starkly the Trump administration’s immigration policies are out of step with what American voters want. The administration has announced a refugee program for the coming fiscal year that will exclusively resettle a small number of white South Africans – as it continues to impose unprecedented obstacles to protection in the United States; expel asylum seekers without hearing their claims; advance an aggressive and costly immigration enforcement agenda; and deport immigrants to countries where they have no ties.

The poll findings include:

• Strong support for the U.S. refugee resettlement program: Two in three voters (67%) say the U.S. should have a refugee program that helps people seeking refuge reach safety. Among voters who personally know a refugee, support rises to 90%.

• Overwhelming support for a path to citizenship: 76% of voters back a path to citizenship for immigrants who have lived and worked in the United States for five years, passed security checks, and have no criminal record, including 65% of Republicans.

• Opposition to ICE arrests in "protected areas": 61% of voters oppose ICE arresting immigrants at schools, churches, and hospitals.

• Opposition to third-country deportations: 60% oppose deporting immigrants to countries other than their country of origin.

• Opposition to deportation without a hearing: 68% say the government should not deport asylum seekers before they can make their case at a hearing, including 51% of Republicans.

• Opposition to mass deportation spending: 60% say the $269 billion for mass deportation is not an appropriate use of taxpayer money. Only 30% say it is.

• Prevalent community disruption: 38% of voters have personally seen disruption in their community from recent immigration enforcement, including 77% of people who know a refugee personally, 59% of Latino voters, and 54% of younger voters.

“Support for the U.S. refugee program is broad, and it remains strong even as the White House has worked to roll back a program that’s been in place for more than four decades,” said Ryan O’Donnell, Executive Director of Data for Progress. “Two-thirds of voters, including a majority of Republicans, say the U.S. should help people seeking refuge reach safety. And majorities oppose the administration’s approach to enforcement, including ICE arrests at schools and churches and deporting asylum seekers without a hearing.”

“While politicians in Washington continue to dismantle our country’s legacy of protecting people seeking safety, the American people once again show their opposition to this approach,” said Kate Brick, Executive Director of the Refugee Advocacy Lab. “Voters across the country have made their perspective clear. They want to live in cities and states where their neighbors are safe, their children can go to school without fear, and they can go to work and provide for their families. At the Lab we will continue to advance work on behalf of this sentiment, working towards commonsense solutions that allow people – and communities – to thrive.”

“The current administration’s campaign of brutality is out of step with what the American people actually want,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, President of the Refugees International. “Policymakers should take note of the strong U.S. public support for commonsense policies, like a fair refugee program, protection for people seeking safety in our communities, and a path to citizenship for our immigrant neighbors.”

The survey of 1,194 likely voters was conducted September 18–20, 2026, with a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.

Read the full poll here.