Most Americans Oppose Admitting Syrian Refugees, Poll Finds

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epa05034123 A Macedonian police officer helps a girl to pass between the cordon as migrants and refugees wait to cross the Greek-Macedonian border after Macedonia has started granting passage only to refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, near Gevegelija, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 20 November 2015. Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia have started restricting access to migrants on the Balkan route to Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans. It is a part of a joint effort to reduce the number of asylum seekers streaming into the European Union. EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI
A Macedonian police officer helps a girl move past the cordon on the Greek-Macedonian border after Macedonia has started letting in refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, near Gevegelija, Macedonia, on 20 Nov. 2015.Georgi Licovski—EPA
By Charlotte Alter

A majority of Americans support the use of force against ISIS and oppose admitting Syrian refugees in to the United States in the aftermath of ISIS’s Paris attacks, according to a new poll released Friday.

Some 54% of total respondents said they oppose taking in refugees,according to a new poll from the Washington Post and ABC News, and 52% say they’re not confident in the American screening process to weed out possible terrorists.

But if refugees are admitted, the poll found, an overwhelming 78% say all refugees should be considered equally– only 18% support a preference for Christian refugees. Presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz have both argued for giving Christian refugees a special preference.

The poll found that 73% of surveyed Americans support U.S. participation in a military operation against ISIS, and 60% support the use of ground forces. 59% of Americans said the U.S. is at war with radical Islam, and 81% say they anticipate a serious terror attack on U.S. soil– one of few moments since 9/11 when anxiety about another attack has reached this level.

The results come a day after the House passed a bill to drastically tighten security measures for Syrian and Iraqi refugees, against the objections of President Obama.

[Washington Post/ABC]

 

 

 

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Write to Charlotte Alter at charlotte.alter@time.com