Overlooked Recent Polling and Insights • February 15, 2018
Immigration Views: Where are voters on specific components of potential immigration reform?
According to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, most voters are open to allowing dreamers to stay in the U.S. and eventually apply for citizenship (81% support -14% oppose) and continuing the diversity visa lottery (48% support-39% oppose). They are skeptical about a border wall (37% support -59% oppose) and believe chain migration should be applicable to the immediate family (49%), instead of just one’s children or spouse (43%).
Looking at the border wall, Republicans are more supportive (75% -22%), while Independents (35% - 61%), women (30% -66%), and Hispanics (21% -74%) are not.
Do you support or oppose building a wall along the border with Mexico?
|
|
Total |
GOP |
DEM |
IND |
Men |
Women |
White |
Black |
Hispanic |
|
Support |
37% |
75% |
9% |
35% |
46% |
30% |
43% |
11% |
21% |
|
Oppose |
59% |
22% |
89% |
61% |
52% |
66% |
54% |
84% |
74% |
There is support for allowing Dreamers to stay in the U.S. and eventually apply for citizenship across demographic lines. Republicans (68%), Independents (82%), women (86%), and Hispanics (87%) overwhelmingly support this course.
Do you support or oppose allowing undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children to remain in the United States and eventually apply for citizenship?
|
|
Total |
GOP |
DEM |
IND |
Men |
Women |
White |
Black |
Hispanic |
|
Support |
81% |
68% |
94% |
82% |
76% |
86% |
80% |
91% |
87% |
|
Oppose |
14% |
24% |
5% |
14% |
19% |
9% |
15% |
7% |
9% |
Chain migration is more complicated. Republicans and male voters support this only for children and spouses, whereas Independents (41% -50%) and women (38% -55%) are more expansive on the issue.
As you may know, there is a program sometimes called family reunification or chain migration.
This program allows U.S. citizens to apply to bring their family members to the United States as permanent legal residents. Do you think this program should be limited to only minor children and spouses or do you think that all immediate family members should be eligible?
|
|
Total |
GOP |
DEM |
IND |
Men |
Women |
White |
Black |
Hispanic |
|
Only Children/Spouse |
43% |
65% |
28% |
41% |
50% |
38% |
46% |
34% |
32% |
|
All Immediate Family |
49% |
28% |
68% |
50% |
42% |
55% |
46% |
60% |
58% |
As for the visa lottery, most groups support continuing the program, but Republicans are opposed and white voters split.
As you may know, there is a program called the diversity visa lottery. This program allows people from countries with low immigration rates to immigrate to the United States. Do you think this program should continue or do you think it should be ended?
|
|
Total |
GOP |
DEM |
IND |
Men |
Women |
White |
Black |
Hispanic |
|
Continue |
48% |
25% |
72% |
45% |
44% |
51% |
43% |
62% |
67% |
|
Ended |
39% |
63% |
18% |
39% |
46% |
33% |
43% |
25% |
26% |
After Congressional Democrats shut down the government over some of these issues earlier this year, their own party now says they should not die on the immigration hill. Compromise is possible in this environment. Whether both sides can reach one is yet to be determined.
