A new poll conducted by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) reveals that 46% of Republican voters support deploying the military to conduct mass deportation raids and detain immigrants in camps. This controversial stance aligns with suggestions made by President-elect Donald Trump, who has proposed using an 18th-century law to establish such camps and facilitate deportations.
The poll highlights a stark political divide, with only 19% of independents and 8% of Democrats expressing support for the military’s involvement in detaining undocumented immigrants. The findings also show a correlation between authoritarian beliefs and support for such measures—48% of Americans with authoritarian views favor the use of camps, compared to only 8% of those without such views.
PRRI President Robert Jones expressed shock at the results, stating, “There have been questions in the Trump era where I’ve thought … I can’t believe that we need to know the answer to this question.” However, he noted that the majority of Americans—approximately 75%—reject the idea of military-guarded internment camps for undocumented immigrants.
Trump recently suggested to Time magazine that up to 21 million people could be deported, a figure that far exceeds estimates of 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. by most studies. This ambitious goal would necessitate the creation of new detention facilities, potentially sweeping up noncitizens awaiting asylum decisions or those legally residing in the country, as noted by the Pew Research Center.
The findings underscore the ongoing polarization over immigration policy and the potential implications of Trump’s proposed measures, sparking concern among advocates and immigrant communities.
