Most Americans back legal status for undocumented immigrants

Politico

By Nick Gass

June 4, 2015

Most Americans back legal status for undocumented immigrants 

More than seven in 10 Americans say undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay in the United States legally, as long as they meet certain requirements, according to a new Pew Research Center survey released Thursday.

A majority — 72 percent — say that immigrants should be allowed to legally remain in the country, including 80 percent of Democrats, 76 percent of independents and 56 percent of Republicans.

Of those 72 percent, 42 percent say they should be allowed to apply for citizenship, while 26 percent would allow for permanent residency. Just 27 percent responded that they should not be allowed to stay.

A majority of Republicans support allowing undocumented immigrants to stay in the U.S., but 58 percent see giving them a path to legal status as a reward for doing something that is against the law. Only 23 percent of Democrats and 33 percent of independents surveyed feel that way.

And Republicans and leaners aren’t happy with the way their party is dealing with the issue. Just 34 percent say the GOP is doing a good job, with 59 percent in disagreement. By contrast, 51 percent of Democrats think their party is doing well on the issue, with 34 percent dissatisfied.

Additionally, 63 percent of Republicans surveyed said immigrants are a burden on the country, compared to 27 percent who called them a strength.

Overall, 51 percent said immigrants strengthen the country, compared to 41 percent who said they do not.

As far as legal immigration goes, a plurality of 39 percent said it should stay at current levels, while 31 percent say it should be decreased and 24 percent want more.

According to Pew, the share of Americans favoring less legal immigration has not declined in the last two years, though it has gone down in the past decade.

Just 37 percent approve of President Barack Obama’s handling of immigration, while 65 percent disapprove.

The poll was conducted May 12-18 among 2,002 adults nationwide via landlines and cellphones, carrying an overall margin of error of 2.5 percentage points. Among 506 Republicans, the margin of error is plus or minus 5 percentage points; among 636 Democrats, it is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points; among 758 independents, it is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

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