On Immigration Policy, Partisan Differences but Also Some Common Ground
Survey report The public is divided over many aspects of U.S. immigration policy. However, when asked about the priorities for policy toward illegal immigration, more Americans say better border security and a path to citizenship should be given equal priority than favor either approach individually. The new national survey, conducted August 9-16 among 2,010 adults, […]
On Immigration Policy, Wider Partisan Divide Over Border Fence Than Path to Legal Status
Survey Report As immigration emerges as a key issue in the presidential campaign, there is little common ground between Republicans and Democrats in views of several immigration policy proposals. But partisan disagreements are much more pronounced on some issues than others. Overall, the public continues to be divided over building a fence along the entire […]
Broad Public Support for Legal Status for Undocumented Immigrants
Survey Report With immigration shaping up to be a major issue in both the final years of the Obama administration and the 2016 presidential campaign, most Americans (72%) continue to say undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. should be allowed to stay in the country legally, if certain requirements are met. These views have […]
Immigration Action Gets Mixed Response, But Legal Pathway Still Popular
Survey Report The public is divided over President Obama’s recent executive action that expands the number of undocumented immigrants permitted to stay and work in the U.S. At the same time, Americans continue to broadly support a pathway to legal status for people in this country illegally. About as many disapprove (50%) as approve (46%) […]
More Prioritize Border Security in Immigration Debate
Survey Report As President Obama considers executive action to delay the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants, the public’s priorities for U.S. immigration policy have shifted, with more people favoring a focus on better border security and tougher enforcement of immigration laws. The national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted August 20-24 among 1,501 […]
Surge of Central American Children Roils U.S. Immigration Debate
Survey Report As the president and Congress struggle over how to deal with the influx of thousands of unaccompanied minors from Central America across the U.S.-Mexican border, a new survey finds that the public favors a shift in U.S. policy to expedite the legal processing of the children. President Obama gets very low ratings for […]
Public Divided Over Increased Deportation of Unauthorized Immigrants
Survey Report Immigration legislation is stalled in the House, but the public continues to broadly support a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants. At the same time, however, Americans are evenly divided over the growing number of undocumented immigrants who have been deported from the U.S. in recent years, with as many viewing this as […]
Most Say Illegal Immigrants Should Be Allowed to Stay, But Citizenship Is More Divisive
A new survey finds that seven-in-ten Americans (71%) say there should be a way for people in the United States illegally to remain in this country if they meet certain requirements, while 27% say they should not be allowed to stay legally. Most who favor providing illegal immigrants with some form of legal status […]
Illegal Immigration: Gaps Between and Within Parties
The public continues to support tough measures to crack down on illegal immigration, but also a path to citizenship for those in the country illegally. A plurality (43%) says the priority should be better border security and enforcement, as well as creating a way for illegal immigrants to become citizens if they meet certain […]
Broad Approval For New Arizona Immigration Law
The public broadly supports a new Arizona law aimed at dealing with illegal immigration and the law’s provisions giving police increased powers to stop and detain people who are suspected of being in the country illegally. Fully 73% say they approve of requiring people to produce documents verifying their legal status if police ask […]
America’s Immigration Quandary
Introduction Americans are increasingly concerned about immigration. A growing number believe that immigrants are a burden to the country, taking jobs and housing and creating strains on the health care system. Many people also worry about the cultural impact of the expanding number of newcomers in the U.S. Yet the public remains largely divided in […]
