Last year

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Rallies in support of immigrants and refugees have been frequent lately. Yet across Tennessee, a large share of residents — perhaps less demonstrative — have mixed feelings.

And Donald Trump, who made border control a pillar of his campaign, won the state with 61 percent of votes. As Tennesseans went to cast ballots last year, WPLN reporters often heard immigration concerns.

“We need to seal our borders,” said Wilma Waye, in Clarksville.

“Open borders? We can’t support the world,” said Carol Langenback, in Lebanon.

And, after a deep sigh, Eugene Oakley weighed in this way: “I love the people, but let them come in legally. We do need to build a big wall. And that means not just for the Mexicans, but that’s for everybody else, even the refugees.”

To varying degrees, these Trump supporters said they question U.S. aid to foreign nations, want immigration laws enforced, and worry that refugee resettlements could allow terrorists in.

Pollsters with Vanderbilt University found last year that registered voters in Tennessee rank defending against terrorism as the No. 1 presidential priority — although associating that threat with refugees is divisive.

More broadly, 74 percent of Tennesseans say that legal immigrants help the nation more than hurt it.

And in the past few years, the trend is toward saying that undocumented immigrants who are already in the country should have a way to apply for citizenship. The latest poll found 51 percent support that view.

“Views toward illegal immigrants in the state of Tennessee are not as simple as saying, ‘They should all be deported,’ ” said Vanderbilt pollster Josh Clinton.

It’s now down to 28 percent of voting Tennesseans who say the undocumented should be forced to leave.



On refugees — a subset of immigrants who are fleeing violence or persecution — Tennessee polling isn’t widely available. In early 2016, however,

research by Middle Tennessee State University found that 66 percent of voters in the state oppose accepting Syrian refugees, in particular, into the country.

Tennessee voters have been queried about the idea of a Muslim travel ban.

Back in May, Vanderbilt found that 39 percent of Tennesseans endorsed the idea. Among Republicans and Tea Party respondents, the support was much higher — at or above 60 percent.



The speed at which Trump took action pleased one of his backers, Gayle Allman, of Murfreesboro.

But she told WPLN that she is conflicted about the particulars of the travel ban, especially from the viewpoint of those affected.

“I understand totally — even though I’m not a refugee — I do understand that they’re scared, and they don’t want to lose what they’ve worked for in the country that they’re living in,” she said. “That freedom.”

Ultimately, Allman said she supports Trump’s move to make sure that only “good citizens” arrive — but only if it truly is temporary, and reevaluated in a few months.