New York [US], June 14: U.S. citizens are almost evenly split over President Donald Trump's decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles, according to a new Washington Post-George Mason University poll published on Thursday.
41 percent support the move, 44 percent oppose it, and 15 percent are unsure, according to the text-message survey of 1,015 adults, including 217 Californians, conducted on June 10.
California residents are more critical, with 58 percent opposing the deployment and 32 percent supporting it. Party lines remain stark.
Nearly 86 percent of Republicans support the action, compared with 10 percent of Democrats. Meanwhile, 76 percent of Democrats oppose it. Independent voters lean against the troop deployment by a 15-point margin, with 48 percent opposed and 33 percent in favor.
Trump federalized about 4,000 National Guard members and mobilized 700 Marines last week to reinforce immigration raids in the nation's second-largest city, saying the troops will protect federal property and assist agents.
Governor Gavin Newsom has sued, arguing the deployment undermines state authority and stokes unrest; a federal judge heard the emergency motion on Thursday afternoon but have not made a rule immediately.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass imposed a curfew over roughly 2.6 square kilometers of downtown since Tuesday after scattered looting and clashes between protesters and police. The Los Angeles Police Department reported dozens of arrests for curfew violations and vandalism.
The protests, which began after aggressive ICE raids in immigrant communities, have spread beyond Los Angeles to cities including Chicago, New York, San Antonio, and Spokane, according to multiple media reports. Curfews also have been imposed in multiple locations to curb unrest.
Despite some incidents of property damage and clashes with police, officials emphasized that the vast majority of residents remain peaceful. Los Angeles County Attorney highlighted that 99.99 percent of residents near protest zones had not engaged in unlawful activities.
Public opinion on the protests themselves is also divided: 39 percent of Americans support the anti-immigration-enforcement demonstrations, 40 percent oppose them, and 21 percent are undecided. Views of Trump's broader immigration strategy have turned negative, with 52 percent disapproving and 37 percent approving.
Source: Xinhua
