Poll: Support for allowing Syrian refugees in U.S. sharply divided by party

A little more than half of voters oppose admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees to the United States over the next year, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Monday.

But issue is sharply divided along party lines, with Democrats supporting admitting the refugees and Republicans strongly opposing it, the poll found.

The Obama administration has announced plans to increase to total number of worldwide refugees admitted to the United States from 70,000 to 100,000 by 2017 in an effort to let in more of those fleeing from the conflict in Syria.

Prior to announcing that plan, the administration also said it would take in at least 10,000 Syrian refugees next year.

In the Quinnipiac poll, 53 percent of respondents said they opposed admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees, while 41 percent said they supported it.

Meanwhile, Democrats support it by 60 percent, while Republicans oppose it by 71 percent, according to the poll. Forty-five percent of independents said they support bringing in the refugees.

Fifty-eight percent of the total also said they think the refugees would pose a threat to U.S. security.

That’s again divided along party lines, with 81 percent of Republicans thinking the refugees would pose a threat and 59 percent of Democrats saying they wouldn’t be a threat.

Quinnipiac conducted the poll from Sept. 17 to 21 and surveyed 1,574 registered voters over the phone.