Poll: Battleground Voters Want Congress to Protect Dreamers, Sen. Bennet Offers Model of How to Lead

Following the Biden-Harris Administration’s move to preserve DACA with a looming 5th circuit decision that could end it, new poll finds strong support for the program

Read Battleground Poll Findings

WASHINGTON, DC — Yesterday, the Immigration Hub and SEIU released the results of a new battleground poll, conducted by Hart Research and BSP Research surveying voters in nine states, including Colorado. The poll revealed strong support for pro-immigrant policies such as protecting Dreamers and citizenship for farm workers and undocumented immigrants more broadly. The majority of voters also support efforts to modernize our legal immigration system, buttressing the case for Congress to take common sense action to reduce America’s green card backlog.

The poll also found it critically important for Democrats to follow the example of leaders like Senator Bennet (D-CO), and counter GOP attacks by going on the offensive and supporting popular common sense immigration policies such as reforming our outdated visa system, guaranteeing important worker protections, creating a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, including our nation’s Dreamers and farm workers. Additionally, Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper worked with Bennet to keep “poison pill” anti-immigrant amendments out of the Inflation Reduction Act, ensuring the final bill helps working families by lowering energy and health care costs.

Furthermore, the poll showed that battleground voters, by strong margins, oppose extreme anti-immigrant positions being championed by GOP candidates like Joe O’Dea, who’s running against Senator Bennet in Colorado. O’Dea has repeatedly affirmed his support of finishing Trump’s border wall, a tactic which a majority of Americans and Coloradans oppose. Colorado Democrats should take these opportunities to exploit Republican vulnerabilities on immigration and denounce their radical anti-immigrant agenda.

Sergio Gonzales, Executive Director of the Immigration Hub, said: “The key to Democrats winning the debate on immigration is not silence, it’s articulating popular solutions to fix our broken immigration system. In 2010, Sen. Michael Bennet won a tight race with overwhelming Latino support by leaning in on critical policies to fix our broken immigration system. Since that time, he has become a national leader on efforts to fix our broken immigration, including legislation to provide a path to citizenship for Colorado’s Dreamers and farm workers.

“He offers a blueprint for how to lead on the issue of immigration by reflecting our nation’s values and advocating for commonsense solutions to manage our borders and open the doors of opportunity to hardworking immigrants already here. Sen. Bennet understands that a well functioning immigration system would fuel innovation and help support Colorado’s economy. According to our new research, 57% of voters think immigrants play a positive role in keeping businesses staffed up as Colorado continues to face labor shortages in industries such as agriculture.

“Meanwhile, candidates like Joe O’Dea would push forward a dangerous, extreme immigration agenda that is out of touch with Colorado. With DACA facing a serious legal challenge brought forward by GOP politicians, it will be critical for the new Congress to finally pass legislation to protect Dreamers. The stakes of this election could not be higher.”

Rocio Saenz, Executive Vice President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), said: “This is important research that dispels harmful fallacies about how immigration is affecting the 2022 election and that confirms what we hear every day when we talk to voters in swing states: Democrats do best when they embrace the issue and offer positive solutions rather than leaving Republican attacks unanswered.”

In Pennsylvania, Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman had a resounding primary victory— markedly leaning into values-based immigration messaging throughout a campaign that won all 67 PA counties— but winners for the Republican Party made no secret of the dark path they have chosen to take on the campaign trail. Republican primary winners represent the most extreme, anti-immigrant positions that echo fringe, white nationalist ideologies. Doug Mastriano is a QAnon believer who levied anti-immigrant rhetoric to stay relevant by speaking to low propensity voters with anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim messages. Subscribing to the GOP playbook, a new recording recently revealed that he believes Dreamers need to be “disqualified from citizenship” and “need to go back home.” Trump-endorsed candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz also continues to fear monger over the border, while peddling dangerous and divisive policies. The Fetterman campaign continues to successfully counter Republicans with the values and policy solutions Americans largely support on immigration such as protecting Dreamers. The rest of the party could take note and follow his lead to successfully blunt Republican attacks.

Key survey findings:

• A strong majority of voters (65%) say that Congress should act to protect Dreamers if a federal court overturns the DACA program, as do 78% of Latino voters. With the backdrop of a looming decision by the 5th Circuit that could end DACA, battleground voters want Congress to protect the Dreamers and act on immigration legislation that would stabilize the agricultural workforce and address rising food prices.

• Republican attacks have not decreased voter support for pro-immigrant solutions. A majority of voters support pro-immigrant policies: An overwhelming 70% of battleground voters— including 82% of Latinos, 76% of swing voterrs, 74% of independents, and 76% of moderates— agree with Democrats that undocumented immigrants should be provided a path to citizenship.

• Democrats are vulnerable to Republican attacks on the border, but if Democrats engage aggressively on the immigration issue— including attacking Republican vulnerabilities— there is a substantial shift towards Democrats that blunt Republican attacks.

  • Several aspects of their immigration record are deeply concerning to swing voters and should be highlighted.

    • Republicans support separating immigrant families and putting children in cages. (67% very serious concerns)        

    • Republicans are trying to deport law-abiding immigrants who have lived in and contributed to the United States for many years. (60% very serious concerns)

• While battleground voters initially express more confidence in Republicans on immigration, the script can be flipped. When voters were asked to choose between a Democrat who favors a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants vs. a Republican who says we should not let illegal immigrants become legal, an 8-point deficit suddenly becomes a 7-point Democratic advantage. Framing the immigration debate around this contrast is the most effective way to counter Republican border-related attacks. 

• Immigration remains a salient issue for Latino voters: Half of Latino voters say they personally know someone who is undocumented, and for nearly one-quarter (23%) of Latino voters, it is a family member who is undocumented.  This raises the salience and emotional connection to the immigration issue, especially when Republican politicians make anti-immigrant rhetoric a center piece of their campaign.

• Latino voters reject GOP xenophobia and extremism: Two of the most serious concerns Latino battleground voters had about Republicans were “use of hateful attacks on immigrants that encourage white nationalists and other domestic terrorists, putting all Americans at risk of violence” (73%) and “support separating immigrant families and putting children in cages” (73%). These issues strike at the personal, emotional, and cultural salience of the immigration issue to many Latino voters.

Read the full findings. 

Geoff Garin, President of Hart Research, who conducted the poll, added: “Our polling shows that despite Republicans’ persistent attacks on immigration, voters in battlegrounds overwhelmingly remain supportive of pro-immigrant policies like protecting Dreamers. But to win on this issue this November, it will not be enough for Democrats to make the case for Democratic principles and policies— Democrats must go on the offense against the GOP and highlight several aspects of the GOP’s unpopular immigration record, including their plans to deport Dreamers and undocumented immmigrants, which are deeply concerning to swing voters. Essentially, smart and stronger engagement on the immigration issue— including attacking Republican vulnerabilities— can yield important benefits for Democrats in races where victories will be decided by small margins.”

Matt Barreto, BSP Research President and Co-Founder, who conducted the poll, continued: “While the economy is the top priority for Latino voters, immigration remains a salient and emotional issue for a critical segment of Latinos for whom this is a top issue, a personal issue, and will be a motivating issue to get them to the polls this November, especially when Republican politicians make anti-immigrant rhetoric a center piece of their campaign. If Republicans want to run on canceling DACA and deporting Dreamers, Democrats would be wise to run on their continued strong support for DACA and Dreamers which are extremely popular with Latino voters.”

About the survey: Hart Research and BSP Research conducted an online survey on behalf of SEIU and Immigration Hub in nine battleground Senate races and fifty-seven battleground House district races. The survey of 1,618 battleground likely voters was conducted from July 22 to 25, 2022. The survey of 800 battleground likely Latino voters was conducted from July 26 to August 3, 2022. The survey had a confidence interval of +/- 2.5%. Care has been taken to ensure the geographic and demographic divisions of the population of the electorate are properly represented.

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.