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| Path to Citizenship for Immigrants Draws Support Across Party Lines, Survey Finds | |
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| Nearly two-thirds of Americans favor giving illegal immigrants in the country an opportunity for legal status with a path to citizenship, according to a poll published Thursday by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution. Support for an earned path to citizenship for those immigrants came from 71 percent of Democrats and also a majority, 53 percent, of Republicans, the poll found. | Nearly two-thirds of Americans favor giving illegal immigrants in the country an opportunity for legal status with a path to citizenship, according to a poll published Thursday by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution. Support for an earned path to citizenship for those immigrants came from 71 percent of Democrats and also a majority, 53 percent, of Republicans, the poll found. |
| The option that drew the least support in the poll was legal residency for illegal immigrants with no path to citizenship: only 14 percent of Americans favored that approach. A larger minority, about 21 percent, said illegal immigrants should be identified by the authorities and deported. | The option that drew the least support in the poll was legal residency for illegal immigrants with no path to citizenship: only 14 percent of Americans favored that approach. A larger minority, about 21 percent, said illegal immigrants should be identified by the authorities and deported. |
| As Republicans have been searching with fresh intensity in recent weeks for a new approach to the divisive issue of immigration, the poll provides potentially heartening information to lawmakers who have urged the party to support overhaul legislation that would eventually allow illegal immigrants to become citizens. | As Republicans have been searching with fresh intensity in recent weeks for a new approach to the divisive issue of immigration, the poll provides potentially heartening information to lawmakers who have urged the party to support overhaul legislation that would eventually allow illegal immigrants to become citizens. |
| The poll is notable because of the large size of its sample. The results are based on bilingual landline and cellphone interviews between Jan. 28 and Feb. 24 with 4,465 adults in the continental United States. (The margin of error is plus or minus two percentage points.) The Public Religion Research Institute is a nonpartisan research organization that focuses on religion and politics. The Brookings Institution, which is also nonpartisan, conducts research on public policy issues. | The poll is notable because of the large size of its sample. The results are based on bilingual landline and cellphone interviews between Jan. 28 and Feb. 24 with 4,465 adults in the continental United States. (The margin of error is plus or minus two percentage points.) The Public Religion Research Institute is a nonpartisan research organization that focuses on religion and politics. The Brookings Institution, which is also nonpartisan, conducts research on public policy issues. |
| Majorities of all religious groups in the poll supported giving earned citizenship to immigrants in the country illegally, but support was especially strong among Hispanics, with 74 percent of Hispanic Catholics and 71 percent of Hispanic Protestants favoring that proposal. | Majorities of all religious groups in the poll supported giving earned citizenship to immigrants in the country illegally, but support was especially strong among Hispanics, with 74 percent of Hispanic Catholics and 71 percent of Hispanic Protestants favoring that proposal. |
| Support for the citizenship option was also strong among black Protestants, 71 percent, and Jewish Americans, with 67 percent. A majority, 56 percent, of white evangelical Protestants, the most conservative group in the poll, also favored offering citizenship to illegal immigrants after they met certain requirements. | Support for the citizenship option was also strong among black Protestants, 71 percent, and Jewish Americans, with 67 percent. A majority, 56 percent, of white evangelical Protestants, the most conservative group in the poll, also favored offering citizenship to illegal immigrants after they met certain requirements. |
| Nearly half of Americans, 45 percent, said the Republican Party had been hurt in recent elections by its positions on immigration, while only 7 percent of Americans thought the party had been helped by its views. In the presidential race last year, the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, supported a strategy of “self-deportation,” which would have made life so difficult in the United States for illegal immigrants that they would feel forced to leave on their own. | Nearly half of Americans, 45 percent, said the Republican Party had been hurt in recent elections by its positions on immigration, while only 7 percent of Americans thought the party had been helped by its views. In the presidential race last year, the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, supported a strategy of “self-deportation,” which would have made life so difficult in the United States for illegal immigrants that they would feel forced to leave on their own. |
| According to the poll, 64 percent of Americans disagreed with this strategy, while about one-third, or 34 percent, agreed. | According to the poll, 64 percent of Americans disagreed with this strategy, while about one-third, or 34 percent, agreed. |
| But Republicans’ stance on immigration in the 2012 elections does not appear to have hurt the party as badly among Hispanics as the voting results would suggest, after President Obama won 71 percent of the Hispanic vote. | But Republicans’ stance on immigration in the 2012 elections does not appear to have hurt the party as badly among Hispanics as the voting results would suggest, after President Obama won 71 percent of the Hispanic vote. |
| According to the poll, 39 percent of Hispanic Americans said the Republican Party’s immigration positions hurt it in the elections, while 41 percent of that group said immigration did not make a difference. | According to the poll, 39 percent of Hispanic Americans said the Republican Party’s immigration positions hurt it in the elections, while 41 percent of that group said immigration did not make a difference. |
| However, the poll reveals persistent risks for Republicans among Hispanics. Only 19 percent of Hispanic Americans polled said they trusted Republicans more than Democrats to handle immigration issues. Nearly half of Hispanic Americans say that immigration legislation should be the top priority for Mr. Obama and for Congress. | However, the poll reveals persistent risks for Republicans among Hispanics. Only 19 percent of Hispanic Americans polled said they trusted Republicans more than Democrats to handle immigration issues. Nearly half of Hispanic Americans say that immigration legislation should be the top priority for Mr. Obama and for Congress. |
| The president has outlined a proposal that would require immigrants who had been in the country illegally to wait at least 13 years before they could apply to become full citizens. A bipartisan group in the Senate is working on legislation that also includes a path to earned citizenship. Under both proposals, illegal immigrants would have to pass criminal background checks, pay fines and back taxes, learn English and civics and perhaps meet other requirements before they could apply to naturalize. | The president has outlined a proposal that would require immigrants who had been in the country illegally to wait at least 13 years before they could apply to become full citizens. A bipartisan group in the Senate is working on legislation that also includes a path to earned citizenship. Under both proposals, illegal immigrants would have to pass criminal background checks, pay fines and back taxes, learn English and civics and perhaps meet other requirements before they could apply to naturalize. |
| Republican lawmakers have been testing different approaches to legalization. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who is part of the bipartisan Senate group, has said he would offer eventual citizenship but no special or direct path to it for immigrants who have been in the country illegally. Former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida wrote in a book published this month that he would offer legal residency for illegal immigrants, but no path to citizenship. But in recent comments, Mr. Bush said he would support a citizenship option if Republican lawmakers embraced it. | Republican lawmakers have been testing different approaches to legalization. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who is part of the bipartisan Senate group, has said he would offer eventual citizenship but no special or direct path to it for immigrants who have been in the country illegally. Former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida wrote in a book published this month that he would offer legal residency for illegal immigrants, but no path to citizenship. But in recent comments, Mr. Bush said he would support a citizenship option if Republican lawmakers embraced it. |
| The poll shows that Americans are divided over whether immigration benefits the country. A slim majority of 54 percent believes that new immigrants help strengthen the economy. But a large minority, 40 percent, said foreign newcomers are a threat to American traditions and culture. | The poll shows that Americans are divided over whether immigration benefits the country. A slim majority of 54 percent believes that new immigrants help strengthen the economy. But a large minority, 40 percent, said foreign newcomers are a threat to American traditions and culture. |
| Immigration is increasingly shaping the experience of many Americans. Of those polled, 50 percent said they often came in contact with immigrants who spoke little or no English, while 61 percent said they had close friends who were born outside the United States. | Immigration is increasingly shaping the experience of many Americans. Of those polled, 50 percent said they often came in contact with immigrants who spoke little or no English, while 61 percent said they had close friends who were born outside the United States. |
| Younger generations of Americans are significantly more ethnically mixed than older ones, the poll found, in ways that the political parties will have to take into account. In the poll, nearly one quarter of Americans age 18 to 29 identified as Hispanic, while only a slim majority of 52 percent identified as white. | Younger generations of Americans are significantly more ethnically mixed than older ones, the poll found, in ways that the political parties will have to take into account. In the poll, nearly one quarter of Americans age 18 to 29 identified as Hispanic, while only a slim majority of 52 percent identified as white. |