Poll: Iowa Republicans oppose Syrian refugees in US

An overwhelming majority of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers oppose accepting Syrian refugees into the U.S., according to a new Quinnipiac Poll released Tuesday morning. 

Eighty-one percent disagree with President Obama’s decision to resettle Syrian refugees in America, while 82 percent oppose the refugees settling inside Iowa specifically. The poll shows that the more conservative a voter says they are, the less likely they are to want refugees on American shores. 

{mosads}The Obama administration has stood by its plan to accept up to 10,000 Syrian refugees this year despite significant criticism from lawmakers amid reports that at least one of the terrorists who attacked France earlier this month may have come into the country with Syrian refugees. 

A bill to halt resettling Syrian refugees passed the House with a veto-proof majority last week, and almost every GOP presidential candidate disagrees with resettling refugees in America, at least for the time being.

Strong majorities also support sending American ground troops to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) — 73 percent — as well as believe that America and its allies are losing the fight against ISIS — 83 percent. Those in households where a member is in the military have almost the exact same views on both issues. 

GOP presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ben Carson have come out in favor of an expanded military presence in Iraq but have balked at the prospect of putting troops in Syria. Former Gov. Jeb Bush (Fla.) has called for troops in both countries. 

Others, such as Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Gov. John Kasich (Ohio) want NATO to intervene in response to the attack in Paris.

Quinnipiac University polled 600 likely GOP caucus-goers Nov. 16–22, days after the Paris terrorist attacks. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.