The majority of people in Utah want to see President-Elect Donald Trump keep his promise to deport criminal undocumented immigrants when he takes office, next month. This is according to the results of a new poll, released on Tuesday.
The UtahPolicy.com poll suggests that 75 percent of Utah residents agree, either somewhat or very strongly, with Trump’s plan. 614 registered voters in the state responded to the survey, conducted between 8 and 12 December by Dan Jones & Associates. Moderate support for Trump’s promise to deport all undocumented immigrants with criminal records was given by 29 percent of residents. A further 46 percent gave it much stronger support.
The idea was opposed by 22 percent, with nine percent strongly against the idea of deportation, and thirteen percent somewhat opposed. Two percent remained uncertain whether they agreed with the proposal. The poll had a margin of error of 3.95 percent. There were mixed reactions to the poll results from civil liberty groups, conservative leaders, and immigration advocates. Brandy Farmer, the president of the state’s oldest Hispanic non-profit organization, Centro Civico Mexicano, said she was ‘disappointed’ by the results.
The Utah Republican Party chairman, James Evans, said that he was unsurprised by the results of the poll, citing the sentiments expressed as ‘common sense’ that would likely be the same all over the country. Evans says that no community wants a criminal element in its midst and when that element has no legal right to be in the country anyway, they should be removed.