26 AUG 2022
ICYMI: NEW POLLING: Majority of Battleground Voters Want Congress to Protect Dreamers
WASHINGTON, DC – As President Biden finalized a rule to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program yesterday, the Immigration Hub and SEIU released new polling in partnership with Hart Research and BSP Research showing that the majority of battleground state voters want Congress to grant relief to DACA recipients if the program is struck down in court. As we approach a 5th Circuit Court decision that could lead to the end of the program as we know it, voters across the country agree that we need to protect Dreamers.
The poll revealed strong support for pro-immigrant policies such as 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.
CBS: Biden administration moves to formalize DACA and shield it from legal challenges
By Camilo Montoya-Galvez
August 24, 2022
“The Biden administration on Wednesday finalized a rule to transform the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy for more than 600,000 so-called "Dreamers" into a federal regulation, a move aimed at protecting the program from legal challenges that imperil its existence.
[...]
“A recent poll by the liberal group Immigration Hub and Democratic polling outfit Hart Research showed that 65% of surveyed voters in states with competitive congressional elections this November would want Congress to grant relief to DACA recipients if the program is struck down in court.”
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 voters, 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 for many Latino voters.
###
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.