The U.S. is a “nation of immigrants” goes the trope, a nation whose prosperity and can-do attitude are deeply informed by its diversity and openness. But the number of Americans willing to close the door behind them is increasing, according to a new poll. An A.T. Kearney/NPD Group poll that queried 2,590 Americans reveals that 61 percent of respondents agree with the statement that “continued immigration into the country jeopardizes the United States.”
Bloomberg Businessweek reported the results after an early look at the survey. The notion that continued immigration jeopardizes America’s future — and key tenet of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign platform — is most popular with baby boomer Americans, according to the survey. But the same opinion is also held by more than half (55 percent) of millennials. Other polls and surveys find different results, with each survey dependent on variations in language that can make seemingly similar questions produce varying results. And even the most professional polls must consider minute segments of the population. Kearney/NDP’s 2,590 respondents represent 0.000835 percent of the US’s approximately 310 million people.
