New Jersey residents divided on Syrian refugees resettling in Garden State

New Jersey residents are split on whether the state should accept Syrian refugees.

 

Ashley Koning,  assistant director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling, said 45 percent of residents surveyed agree with Gov. Chris Christie that no refugees from Syria should be allowed to resettle in New Jersey, while 45 percent disagree.

“It’s not a cut-and-dried issue here in the state,”  she said. “Especially in the wake of more worry and concern of future terrorist attacks both on U.S. soil and New Jersey, particularly after the San Bernardino shooting.”

Despite the fears of terrorism, Koning said, most Garden State residents believe the federal government is handling the situation well.

“Overall New Jerseyans seem to think that the U.S. government is doing a good job of preventing or reducing the threat of terrorism, which is actually higher than national levels in a poll a couple of weeks ago taken right after the Paris attacks,” she said.

As a precaution, 86 percent of residents support surveillance and security checks in public places.

 

 

New Jersey residents are split on whether the state should accept Syrian refugees.

 

Ashley Koning is assistant director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling.

 

She says 45 percent of residents surveyed agree with Governor Christie that no refugees from Syria should be allowed to resettle in New Jersey, while 45 percent disagree.

 

“It’s not a cut and dry issue here in the state especially in the wake of more worry and concern of future terrorist attacks both on U.S. soil and New Jersey particularly after the San Bernardino shooting last week.”

 

Despite the fears of terrorism, Koning says most Garden State residents believe the federal government is handling it well.

 

“Overall New Jerseyans seem to think that the U.S. government is doing a good job of preventing or reducing the threat of terrorism which is actually higher than national levels in a poll a couple of weeks ago taken right after the Paris attacks.”

 

As a precaution, 86 percent of residents support surveillance and security checks in public places.