Majority of Americans Oppose Trump's Muslim Ban as Its Impact Becomes Clearer

As Americans learn more about President Trump's Muslim ban, they increasingly reject it, multiple polls show. Amnesty International USA said today that Congress should listen to growing public opposition to the Muslim ban and pass legislation to block it.

Four national, scientific polls - from Gallup, Reuters, CNN, and CBS News - show that solid majorities of the public oppose the ban and reject blocking people from coming into the U.S. because they are Muslim. Just over a week ago, President Trump issued an order banning most people from seven Muslim-majority nations from entering the U.S., and in public statements the same day, he said the U.S. should give preferential treatment to Christians trying to enter the U.S.

"The more people learn about Trump's Muslim ban, the more they oppose it. From polls to protests, the message to Congress is clear: Step in and block this Muslim ban now," said Margaret Huang, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA. "In a matter of days, the Muslim ban has torn thousands of families apart, created chaos in the country's airports, and stirred fear for Muslims living in the U.S. This ban is dangerous and discriminatory, and Congress has to put a permanent stop to it."

• CNN's poll found that 53% do not approve of the ban and the order to stop accepting refugees in the U.S. (47% support it). The poll also found that 46% believe that policy makes the U.S. less safe from terrorism (and 41% believe it makes the U.S. safer from terrorism).
• CBS News' poll found that 51% disapprove of the ban (45% approve of it), and 57% do not think the ban is line with America's principles. The poll also found that 88% of Americans think the U.S. should treat all potential immigrants the same, regardless of religion.
• Reuters' poll found that nearly 51% disapprove or are unsure about the Muslim ban. Importantly, the poll also found that 56% of Americans disagree that the U.S. should "welcome Christian refugees but not Muslim ones."

Gallup's poll found that 55% disapprove of Trump's order blocking most people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. (42% approve).

Some initial polling showed public support for the Muslim ban, which has shifted as the public learns more about how it is impacting people in the U.S. and around the world. "As this ban has been exposed for what it is - irrational and inhumane - the public has rejected it and wants Congress to do the same," Huang said.

The Muslim ban has sparked widespread protests around the country, with growing calls for Congress to step in and block President Trump's order. Amnesty International members held protests around the country this weekend - in Washington, DC, New York City, Oakland, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tallahassee, and other cities, as well as other countries.

States are increasingly taking action to block the Muslim ban from being enforced. Last week, officials in Virginia, New York, and Oregon took steps to try to block the ban and, over the weekend, a federal judge temporarily blocked the ban. An appeals court subsequently rejected the Trump administration's efforts to reinstate it immediately.