Poll: Just 30 percent favor stricter asylum rules as Trump calls for tightening restrictions

Just 30 percent of Americans surveyed in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll support making it more difficult for immigrants to seek asylum in the U.S.

The poll’s results were published on Tuesday, one day after President Trump called for tighter restrictions on how the U.S. handles asylum cases.

{mosads}Twenty-seven percent of those surveyed said they support making it easier for immigrants to request asylum, while 34 percent said they support keeping the law as it currently stands, according to the poll.

The poll also found that 64 percent said they oppose Trump declaring a national emergency to build a wall along the southern border, compared with 34 percent of respondents who said they support that plan.

Trump on Monday ordered new restrictions on asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, including implementing application fees to file for asylum. The order also directed that asylum cases currently in immigration courts be settled within 180 days.

“The purpose of this memorandum is to strengthen asylum procedures to safeguard our system against rampant abuse of our asylum process,” Trump said in a memo announcing the plan. 

Trump has repeatedly denounced U.S. immigration policies, often criticizing Democrats for what he and his allies have called a broken system. Trump, earlier this month, urged Democrats to work with Republicans to address U.S. asylum laws.

The poll’s findings are based on interviews with a random sample of 1,001 adults, conducted from April 22-25, prior to Trump’s call for tightening restrictions on asylum-seekers. The poll has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.