Voters Across Party Lines Strongly Support the U.S. Refugee Program, Especially if They Know Someone Who Is a Refugee
By Tenneth Fairclough II
In mid-2022, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimated that global forced displacement — the number of people displaced due to conflicts, violence, and fear of persecution — reached nearly 103 million, of which 32.5 million people were considered refugees. In fiscal year 2022, only 25,465 refugees were resettled in the United States, a number far below the administration’s commitment to welcoming 125,000 people — underscoring how the U.S. refugee program is not meeting the needs of refugees globally.
Recent polling from Data for Progress, the Refugee Advocacy Lab, and Refugees International examined whether voters believe that the U.S. should have a refugee program that helps bring some people who are seeking safety to the United States. In our initial poll in October 2022, we found that more than two-thirds of voters (70 percent) strongly believe that the U.S. should have a refugee resettlement program. We find consistent support for a refugee program from voters across pooled results from three surveys, including that October poll and two new polls from May 2023. Furthermore, we used our pooled survey results to also look at how knowing a refugee is associated with support for a refugee program across partisanship. We find the share of support for a U.S. refugee program is at least 20 points higher among Independents and Republicans who say they personally know someone who is a refugee compared to Independents and Republicans who do not personally know a refugee.
Likely Voters Believe the U.S. Should Have a Refugee Program
Across all three surveys, respondents were given a description of how refugees are classified, and then asked whether or not they believe the United States should have a refugee resettlement program.
We find 71 percent of voters believe the U.S. should have a refugee program. That sentiment extends across partisanship, including 58 percent of Republicans, 71 percent of Independents, and 85 percent of Democrats.
We also looked at support across demographics, such as age, race, and ethnicity. Seventy percent of voters aged 45 and over believe the United States should have a refugee program, while there is a slightly higher level of support among voters under 45 (73 percent). We find strong belief in this sentiment among Black voters (77 percent), as well as Latina/o and white voters (both 71 percent).
Next, we compared support for the U.S. having a refugee resettlement program by likely voters who have familiarity with a refugee. On average across the surveys, 15 percent of likely voters say they know someone who is a refugee.
We find that more than three-quarters of likely voters (87 percent) who say they know a refugee believe that the U.S. should have a refugee program. Voters who say they do not know a refugee also show considerable support for a refugee program at 69 percent.
Last, we examined how personally knowing a refugee impacts support for a refugee resettlement program across political affiliation.
We find that 18 percent of Democrats, 16 percent of Independents, and 12 percent of Republicans say they know someone who is a refugee. Across partisanship, we find that there is a significantly higher level of support for a U.S. refugee program among Independents and Republicans who say they know a refugee (89 percent and 77 percent, respectively) compared to Independents and Republicans who say they do not know a refugee (69 percent and 56 percent, respectively). Democrats overwhelmingly believe in the U.S. having a refugee program, regardless of familarity with a refugee or not (93 percent and 85 percent, respectively).
Our polling shows that voters are sympathetic to refugees, believing that the U.S. needs to have a robust program that provides a home for those seeking safety from persecution and suffering. Personally knowing a refugee can be instrumental in driving this value, as voters who say they know a refugee display significantly stronger support for the U.S. having a refugee resettlement program. As we celebrate World Refugee Day, and the number of people displaced climbs to a record high of 110 million in 2023, the U.S. government must recognize the global scale of this issue and set forth a more vigorous refugee program.
Tenneth Fairclough II (@tenten_wins) is a polling analyst at Data for Progress.