Immigration is Key to America’s Economy, Americans Support Immigration and Citizenship
Most economic and immigration experts agree that immigration can help solve our labor shortagesand the detrimental impacts of a declining population. Many of America’s greatest innovations and strengths have come from immigrants and refugees who hail from all over the world. They settle in the U.S. seeking refuge or opportunity, contributing to America as entrepreneurs, scientists, innovators, business leaders, and problem solvers. In fact, despite recent coverage of a Gallup poll with misguided survey questions, the very same pollster has for years tracked the immensity of support for increased immigration in the United States.
Unfortunately, in recent years right-wing talking heads and many Republican politicians have created a toxic image of immigrants and immigration, painting both as threats to the nation. Their goal is to demonize new Americans as “the other” and scare base voters to the polls. Nevertheless, Americans know where they stand. At the core of American sentiment is support for immigration as an asset to our nation and the demand to Congress and the White House to deliver protections for Dreamers, farm workers and other immigrant workers and families who live and work in America. Support for citizenship and other solutions to empower immigrants to stay in the U.S. and contribute to our economy has consistently remained high.
Experts Agree: Immigration is Key to America’s Economy
Business Insider reported,
“The [labor]shortage is not only among the factors keeping inflation elevated today, but it could hold back the US economy moving forward if the population ages and birth rates continue to fall. Immigration could be one way to fill the gap in workers.
“It's the reason some experts were encouraged when a December Census Bureau report found that net international migration — the number of people who entered the US vs. left it — rose to over one million in 2022. This marked the highest level since 2017, and was up from a decade-low 376,000 in 2021 — which was driven by pandemic factors and a carryover of Trump administration policiesrestricting immigration.
“‘If we increased the number of people who were allowed to immigrate into the United States based on the skills they bring to the marketplace, we could fix this huge excess demand for labor problem pretty quickly,’ David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management, previously told Insider.”
Majority Of Voters Support Citizenship or Other Protections For Dreamers And Undocumented Immigrants
80% of Americans say Congress should provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who meet certain requirements.
Global Strategy Group (Nov. 2022)
57% of voters say that having more immigrant workers in the United States would help the economy and reduce inflation because businesses would be able to fill these kinds of open positions.
Voters want solutions to fix what they see as a broken system and Democratic solutions are very popular, including support for DACA (71% support the program, just 29% think it should end).
Providing a way for undocumented immigrants to gain legal status and a pathway to citizenship is also very popular (65% support).
A compromise proposal that both invests in border security and provides a path to citizenship for Dreamers is widely supported (69% support/23% oppose) and voters want to see a bipartisan immigration solution pass Congress (69% want to see both sides work together on a bipartisan bill that includes protecting Dreamers and investments in border security).
Frank Newport of Gallup writes, “Most polling with which I am familiar shows that Americans favor looking for a way for people brought into the country illegally as children to stay in the U.S. Gallup polls have historically found support for a pathway for citizenship.”
Data for Progress (Oct. 2022 National Survey)
By a +27-point margin, voters (58%) support continuing the DACA program. Democrats overwhelmingly support the policy (79%), as do over half of Independents (58%). Though a slight majority of Republicans oppose continuing DACA, 37% support keeping it in place. Latino voters support DACA by a +48-point margin, compared to a +23-point margin of support among non-Latina/o respondents.
Public Opinion Strategies / Impact Research (Oct. 2022 National Survey)
Support for creating a path for Dreamers to earn citizenship is especially strong. By a more than 4:1 margin, voters overall support a proposal that would create an earned path to citizenship for Dreamers (80% support / 16% oppose). The proposal garners majority support among Democrats (93% support), Independents (74% support), and Republicans (71% support).
Hart Research/ NILC Action Fund (AZ, PA, GA, NV, WI Survey - Oct. 2022)
An enormous 73% majority of battleground voters say that undocumented immigrants now living in the U.S. should have a way to earn legal status and be provided a path to citizenship. Just 23% believe that undocumented immigrants should all be deported.
Three-fourths (75%) of political independents support legal status and a path to citizenship, as do 83% of moderates and 76% of persuadable voters (those not committed to either the Democratic candidate or Republican candidate).
Legal status is strongly embraced by young voters under age forty (82%) and by women (78%).
Latino voters favor legal status by an overwhelming 82% to 15% margin.
With Dreamers under the threat of having DACA ended by the federal courts, battleground voters say they want to see the Dreamers protected. By 74% to 18%, they would vote for a candidate who favors passing a law to provide the Dreamers with legal status and a path to citizenship over one who favors deporting the Dreamers.
Hart Research/ Immigration Hub (Battleground States and Congressional Districts - Aug 2022)
By 70-30%, voters believe that there should be a way for undocumented immigrants to earn legal status and eventually a path to citizenship over deporting undocumented immigrants.
By 65-35%, voters support Congress passing legislation that prevents the deportation of Dreamers if the program is ended by the courts, including 60% of swing voters and 78% of Latino voters.
By 60-40%, voters support President Biden issuing an executive action that prevents the deportation of Dreamers if the program is ended by the courts, including 63% of swing voters and 78% of Latino voters.
59% of voters, including 69% of Latino voters, support the fact that President Biden strengthened and defended the DACA program.
By 48-41%, voters prefer a Democrat candidate who supports legal status and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants versus a Republican who opposes citizenship, including 63% of Latino voters.
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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.