How US views of immigration have changed since Trump took office, according to Gallup polling
A Gallup poll shows a substantial jump in the share of Americans who view immigration as positive for the U.S. since President Donald Trump took office
WASHINGTON Ƶ Just months after President Donald Trump returned to office amid a wave of anti-immigration sentiment, the share of U.S. adults saying immigration is a Ƶgood thingƵ for the country has jumped substantially Ƶ including among Republicans, according to .
About 8 in 10 Americans, 79%, say immigration is Ƶa good thingƵ for the country today, an increase from 64% a year ago and a high point in the nearly 25-year trend. Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say immigration is a bad thing right now, down from 32% last year.
During Democratic President Joe BidenƵs term in office, negative views of immigration had increased markedly, reaching a high point in the months before Trump, a Republican, took office. The new Gallup data suggests U.S. adults are returning to more pro-immigrant views that could complicate TrumpƵs push for sweeping deportations and other anti-immigration policies. The poll shows decreasing support for the type of Trump has championed since before he was elected.
Since taking office, Trump has called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to do all in its power to deliver His administration has also pushed to for immigrants who lack legal status, sought to and is working to for children born to those without legal status or who are in the country temporarily.
In general, AmericansƵ views of immigration policies have shifted dramatically in the last year, the Gallup polling shows Ƶ including among Republicans, who have become much more content with immigration levels since Trump took office but who have also grown more supportive of pathways to citizenship for people in the country illegally.
The broader trend also shows that public opinion is generally much more favorable to immigrants than it was decades ago.
The vast majority of adults say immigration is good
AmericansƵ more positive view on immigration is driven primarily by a shift among Republicans and independents.
About two-thirds of Republicans now say immigrants are Ƶa good thingƵ for the country, up from 39% last year. And independents moved from about two-thirds last year to 80% this year.
Democrats have maintained their overwhelmingly positive view of immigration in the last few years.
The share of people who want immigration decreased has dropped
In the time since Trump took office, Republicans have become more satisfied with the level of immigration in the country.
The share of Americans who want immigration ƵdecreasedƵ in the United States dropped from 55% to 30%. While fewer Americans now want to decrease the number of people who come to the U.S. from other countries, more want immigration levels kept the same than want higher immigration levels. About 4 in 10 say immigration should be kept at its current level, and only 26% say immigration should be increased.
The poll suggests RepublicansƵ sharp anti-immigrant views highlighted before NovemberƵs election Ƶ which helped Ƶ have largely faded. The share of Republicans saying immigration should be decreased dropped from a high of 88% to 48% in the last year. Close to 4 in 10 Republicans now say immigration levels should remain the same, and only about 1 in 10 would like an increase.
Much of that Republican movement likely comes from support for the Trump administrationƵs stringent immigration enforcement, but there are also signs in the Gallup polling that Republicans have become more supportive of pathways to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally and more likely to see benefits from immigration that could be at odds with the Trump administrationƵs priorities.
More Americans back a pathway to citizenship
Most Americans favor allowing immigrants living in the U.S. illegally the chance to become U.S. citizens if they meet certain requirements over a period of time, the poll shows.
Almost 9 in 10 U.S. adults, 85%, favor a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, and nearly as many say they favor a path to citizenship for all immigrants in the country illegally as long as they meet certain requirements. That increased support for pathways to citizenship largely comes from Republicans, about 6 in 10 of whom now support that, up from 46% last year. Support was already very high among independents and Democrats.
Support for deporting immigrants in the country illegally has also decreased across the board, but less significantly. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults now favor deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally, down from about half a year ago.
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