The polling, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in conjunction with CNN, found that Mr. Trump's rhetoric about immigrants has not been as great a priority for his supporters as many might have thought and that while Americans are worried about terrorism, those fears have not translated into broader anti-Muslim sentiments. In short, the U.S. as a whole may be less xenophobic than many fear.

As the chart above shows, the Kaiser/CNN polling found that 57% of Americans agree with the statement that immigrants "strengthen our country because of their hard work and talents." Pew Research Center found the same share in its own 2014 polling, conducted more than a year before Donald Trump launched a presidential campaign with immigration as its central issue. By contrast, the recent Kaiser/CNN poll found that 31% agree that "immigrants are a burden on our country because they take our jobs, housing and health care." Pew's number in 2014 was very similar: 35%. These views have become more positive over the past decade...