Finding a way for illegal immigrants to remain in the United States cuts across party lines, with 67 percent of Americans willing to accept undocumented aliens as permanent residents and possibly citizens, a new poll by the PEW Research Center revealed on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2019) Finding a way for illegal immigrants to remain in the United States cuts across party lines, with 67 percent of Americans willing to accept undocumented aliens as permanent residents and possibly citizens, a new poll by the PEW Research Center revealed on Tuesday.
"Two-thirds of Americans say it is very or somewhat important to establish a way for most immigrants in the country illegally to remain here legally, according to the survey, which comes as the Supreme Court evaluates the Trump administration's decision to end a program that has protected from deportation nearly 800,000 unauthorized immigrants who arrived in the United States as children," a press release summarizing the poll said.
Since 2016, Americans have become slightly more likely to say it is important to establish a way for those here illegally to stay in the country - and they have become slightly less likely to say it's important to increase deportations, the release said.
The most notable change has occurred in attitudes toward taking in refugees. In the earlier survey, 61 percent of respondents said that admitting refugees escaping war and violence was a very or somewhat important goal, the release said. In the new survey, the share has increased to 73 percent.
In 2016, 40 percent of Republicans said admitting refugees was an important goal, but a majority of Republicans (58 percent) today hold this view, according to the release.
Nevertheless, views of immigration policy goals remain sharply divided along partisan and ideological lines. Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party are much more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners to emphasize the importance of increasing border security and increasing deportations, the release said.
About nine-in-ten Republicans (91 percent) say that increasing border security is very or somewhat important, compared with 49 percent for Democrats, the release said.
Under the Trump administration, the number of refugees being resettled into the United States is at its lowest point in nearly four decades, with further cuts expected in the current fiscal year, according to the release.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments this week on lawsuits seeking to end an Obama administration program allowing immigrants illegally brought to the United States as children to stay and work in the country.
