A straw poll at last weekend’s Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest revealed overwhelming support among attendees for a complete moratorium on all immigration to the United States, both legal and illegal. Roughly 9 in 10 young conservative participants responded “yes” when asked, “Would you support a moratorium on new immigration into the United States?” Only about 10.5 percent disagreed.
The poll was conducted at the first AmericaFest since founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September, drawing a crowd of predominantly young conservative activists. Attendees were also asked to identify the biggest threats facing the nation today.
The number one concern identified by respondents was radical Islam, which many attendees said has spread into American communities chiefly through immigration. Following that, the next highest‑ranked threats were communism and mass migration, according to the straw poll results.
The overwhelming support for shutting down immigration at AmericaFest comes amid record‑high foreign‑born population figures in the United States. Under the Biden administration, the foreign‑born population reached approximately 52 million last year, with nearly seven million immigrants added in fewer than four years. These numbers have contributed to growing political debate over immigration policy and national identity.
Each year, the United States admits more than a million legal immigrants, in addition to hundreds of thousands of temporary work visa holders. Over the course of a decade, this adds up to nearly 10 million new legal immigrants, many of whom go on to become naturalized U.S. citizens. The pace of immigration has sparked concern among conservative voters who argue that unrestricted migration strains public services, labor markets, and national security.
At AmericaFest, those sentiments were clearly on display. The straw poll reflected a grassroots demand among younger conservatives for dramatic changes to America’s immigration system — including an outright halt to new arrivals until solutions are found for border security, labor competition, and cultural cohesion.
