WASHINGTON — Several polls taken in recent weeks have found widespread public rejection of the Trump administration’s now-abandoned policy of separating children from parents when families are caught crossing the border illegally.
But at least one survey found that President Trump’s core supporters — those who voted for him during the Republican primaries in 2016 — were supportive of the idea. That suggests, as some of Trump’s advisers have said, that the policy was popular with his voters even as it was clearly political trouble for Republicans in some swing congressional districts.
A poll by Quinnipiac University, taken June 14-17, found that the public opposed separating parents from children by 66 percent-27 percent.
Republicans in that poll supported the policy 55 percent-35 percent, while Democrats opposed it 91 percent-7 percent.
“As you may know, some families seeking asylum from their home country cross the U.S. border illegally and then request asylum. In an attempt to discourage this, the Trump administration has been prosecuting the parents immediately, which means separating parents from their children. Do you support or oppose this policy?” that poll asked.
A survey by YouGov for the Economist magazine asked a simpler question and got similar results.
That poll found that Trump voters from the 2016 primary supported separation, 68 percent-23 percent. Those who voted for some other Republican in the primaries were more closely divided, with 50 percent supporting and 42 percent opposed.
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