Despite Donald Trump’s campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration, a majority of Americans would like to see undocumented immigrants stay in the country, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University.
The response, 72% percent, was the highest since the Quinnipiac poll started asking the question four years ago.
“Though it drew cheers on the campaign trail, the fiery rhetoric about redirecting the path to citizenship in the U.S. back to the Mexican border is actually losing support,” Tim Malloy, the poll’s assistant director, said in a statement.
Trump has vowed to deport millions of immigrants in the United States illegally, focusing on those with criminal records, and strengthen border security. He has also met with potential Cabinet picks who have espoused anti-immigrant policies, most notably Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who warned last week that no undocumented immigrants would get a “free pass.”