Support for legal action against sanctuary cities is on the decline, according to a survey released Wednesday by Rasmussen Reports.
The survey asked about voters' opinions on sanctuary cities or states, those that provide sanctuary for illegal immigrants:
In the survey:
- 42 percent think the U.S. Justice Department should take legal action against the areas— down from 50 percent in 2016 and 62 percent in 2015.
- 45 percent do not think the department should take legal action—up from 38 percent in 2016.
As to the question of whether sanctuary communities are safe, more than one-third of those who took the Rasmussen survey believe the areas are less safe than those that do not protect illegal immigrants.
- 36 percent believe sanctuary communities are less safe.
- 36 percent believe they are equally as safe.
- 18 percent believe sanctuary communities are safer.
- 10 percent have not decided.
The survey was conducted among 1,000 likely U.S. voters on Oct. 22 and 23, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, with a 95 percent level of confidence, the poll report said.
The murder trial in the death of Kate Steinle, which sparked the sanctuary cities debate, began Monday, according to CBS News.