A straw poll conducted last weekend at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest found that roughly nine in ten attendees said they would support a temporary halt on all new immigration to the United States, including both illegal and legal entries. The question posed to participants was direct: “Would you support a moratorium on new immigration into the United States?” According to the results shared by event organizers, about 90 percent of respondents answered yes, while 10.5 percent said they opposed such a pause. The audience surveyed was largely made up of younger Americans who self-identify as conservative, reflecting the demographic profile that has come to characterize the annual gathering in recent years.
In addition to immigration policy, the straw poll asked attendees to identify what they believe are the most significant threats currently facing the country. Respondents ranked radical Islam as the top concern, followed by communism and mass migration. These responses were recorded as part of a broader set of questions aimed at capturing how participants view national security, social stability, and the direction of U.S. policy. Organizers did not present the poll as a scientific survey, but rather as a snapshot of opinions among those attending the conference.
The results come at a time when the size of the foreign-born population in the United States has reached historically high levels. Federal data show that last year the number of foreign-born residents climbed to approximately 52 million, the largest total ever recorded. Nearly seven million immigrants were added to the population over a span of fewer than four years, reflecting a combination of legal immigration, humanitarian admissions, and other pathways. These trends have drawn increased attention as policymakers debate how immigration levels intersect with labor markets, public services, and long-term demographic change.
On an annual basis, the United States admits more than one million legal immigrants, alongside hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals who enter on temporary work visas. Over a decade, this pace results in close to 10 million legal immigrants arriving in the country, many of whom later obtain naturalized citizenship. Supporters and critics alike continue to examine how these inflows affect economic growth, wages, infrastructure demands, and the capacity of government institutions to manage screening and integration. The AmericaFest straw poll highlights how immigration has become a defining issue for a segment of politically engaged Americans, particularly as national totals reach levels not previously seen.
