Three-fourths of Utahns want soon-to-be President Donald Trump to keep his promise of deporting undocumented immigrants who have criminal records, a new UtahPolicy poll finds.
Trump has made several promises during the campaign that he now openly says he won’t keep – like prosecuting his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton for her email scandal.
In fact, an earlier UtahPolicy poll found that most Utahns don’t expect Trump to go through will building a wall along the U.S./Mexican border.
But when Dan Jones & Associates asked in a new survey if Trump should go forward with his “plan to deport undocumented immigrants with criminal records,” 75 percent said they “strongly” or “somewhat” support that action.
Only 22 percent oppose such a move.
And 2 percent didn’t know.
Trump often commented in his campaign about the criminal Mexicans and other illegal immigrants who are preying on Americans, even introducing the mother of one such alleged victim at rallies.
And getting tough on illegal aliens who have been criminals is still welcomed by most here.
Jones finds:
- 88 percent of Utah Republicans support deporting illegals with criminal records.
- Only 10 percent of Republicans oppose that plan, and 2 percent don’t know.
Democrats disagree: 56 percent oppose Trump taking that action, 41 percent favor it and 3 percent don’t know.
- Political independents want Trump to deport them, 70-28 percent; 3 percent don’t know.
Utah Mormons have been critical of Trump’s idea of banning all Muslims from entering the U.S. for a period.
LDS Church leaders earlier this year actually re-released comments made by the church’s founder, Joseph Smith, welcoming Muslims to an early LDS city, Nauvoo.
But Utah “very active” Mormons are with Trump on this one; they favor deportation of illegal aliens with criminal records, 81-17 percent.
Many undocumented immigrants with criminal records may, in fact, be Catholics.
And Utah Catholics are more sympathetic to their troubles. Jones finds that 63 percent of Utah Catholics believe illegal aliens with criminal records should be deported, 33 percent oppose, and 5 percent don’t know.
Jones polled 614 adults from Dec. 8-12. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.95 percent.
