Washington, Feb 26 (IANS): A majority of Americans oppose the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility as the White House renewed its effort to close the overseas prison, a poll said.

According to the Rasmussen Reports poll, conducted after US President Barack Obama unveiled his latest plan to shutter the facility, 56 percent of Americans want the Guantanamo prison to stay open, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, the same percentage said that Guantanamo detainees should not be transferred to the US and releasing the detainees has made the United States less safe, the poll said on Thursday.

In 2009 after Obama took office and pledged to close the facility, only 42 percent of Americans opposed closing the facility, said the poll.

Obama on Tuesday unveiled a long-stalled closure plan of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, a move which would certainly set off a fierce clash with Republican lawmakers.

Obama said for the 91 detainees currently held in Guantanamo Bay, some would be transferred, and his administration would review the threat posed by detainees who were not eligible for transfers and identify those eligible for military trials.