A recent poll released on Wednesday indicates that nearly 75% of voters believe that international students positively impact the United States.
Conducted by Quinnipiac University, the survey showed that 74% of participants felt that having foreign students in US universities was beneficial for the country.
This poll comes in the context of the Trump administration’s stricter immigration policies, which have included detaining several foreign students across various universities.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the Department has been “actively revoking visas” for Chinese students since late May, particularly those who are seen as connected to the Chinese Communist Party and who study in significant fields.
Additionally, immigration authorities have detained graduate students from Columbia and Tufts University during campus protests, as the Trump administration faces challenges with Harvard University regarding student visa regulations.
Despite these tensions, a significant number of voters from both political parties, according to the poll, agree that international students contribute positively to the country.
A striking 96% of Democrats share this view, compared to 75% of independents, while 14% of independents did not agree. Among Republicans, 49% support the idea that international students are beneficial, whereas 37% disagree.
The poll also gauged public sentiment about the conflict in Gaza. It revealed that 37% of voters sympathize with Israel, while 32% lean toward the Palestinians, and 31% expressed no opinion.
Researchers noted that sympathy for Israel is at a “low historical” point, as feelings towards Palestinians have reached a “record high,” marking the highest level of concern since Quinnipiac began polling registered voters in December 2001.
“With no clear resolution in sight, Israel’s standing among voters is declining rapidly. Meanwhile, there is broad sympathy among Americans for the victims of anti-Semitism,” they observed.
The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,265 registered voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
