President Obama’s new DREAM relief policy would allow undocumented youth who qualify to request temporary relief from deportation, making them eligible to receive work permits and a social security number.
Learn MoreFacts
Majority of Americans Want Real Reform
Among Americans, Support for Earned Legalization Is High
- A May 2009 poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that support for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants has risen from 58% in 2007 to 63% in 2009.
- 61% of respondents to a March 2009 telephone survey conducted by the Washington Post and ABC News supported giving undocumented immigrants the right to live in the U.S. “if they pay a fine and meet other requirements.” In 2007, roughly 49% of people supported giving undocumented immigrants the right to live in the country; that number has grown by 12% over two years. 59% of Republicans support this position, up from 42% in 2007, while 68% of Democrats expressed their support, up from 59% in 2007.
- According to a May 2009 poll of 1,000 likely voters conducted by the Benenson Strategy Group (BSG), support for comprehensive immigration reform has remained stable and strong since a previous poll taken in November 2008. Both polls show that about 68% of voters support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants that would require them to register, meet certain conditions, and become legal taxpayers.
- In the same poll, an overwhelming majority of voters—71 percent—believe that we would be better off if undocumented immigrants took steps to become legal taxpayers rather than being deported. Only 26% of voters believe that deportation would be better for Americans than legalization.
Majorities of Independents and Republicans Also Favor Comprehensive Immigration Reform
- The May 2009 BSG poll showed bipartisan support for comprehensive reform. 62% of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 67% of Democrats support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
- The March 2009 Washington Post survey showed strong support for legalization of undocumented immigrants across all political affiliations. The number of Democrats supporting the program increased from 59% in 2007 to 68% in 2009, while the number of Republicans who expressed support jumped from 42% in 2007 to 59% in 2009. In the 2009 poll, 59% of Independents also said they would support the program.
Americans Believe That the Status Quo Is Unacceptable, and Congress Must Fix Our Broken Immigration System
- 75% of respondents to the May 2009 BSG poll believe Congress should tackle immigration reform in 2009. 57% of respondents said that the poor economy makes it more crucial that Congress address immigration reform, as opposed to the 39% who believed it was not the right time. In general, voters support a Member of Congress willing to tackle immigration more than one who will not.
- According to polls of voters conducted by Lake Research Partners and BSG after the 2008 election, 46% believed enacting immigration reform was a high priority. Only 15% of voters considered it a low priority, while 37% said it was medium.
Americans Overwhelmingly Oppose Mass Deportation and Enforcement-Only Policies
- A CNN/Opinion Research poll conducted in October 2009 found that only 37 percent of respondents wanted to see all illegal immigrants deported.
- A May 2009 BSG poll indicates that only 20% of voters believed that those undocumented should be required to leave; 10% believe that they should be allowed to stay temporarily.
- According to the BSG/Lake Research Partners November 2008 post-election poll, voters preferred a comprehensive approach to immigration reform over enforcement of current legislation by a 27% margin.
Previous post: Restoring the Rule of Law
Next post: Debunking the Myths
Right now, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) is meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) to talk about immigration reform. Immediately following the 2012 elections, Speaker Boehner said to ABC News “This [immigration] issue has been around far too long…A comprehensive approach is long overdue, and I’m confident that the president, myself and others can find [...]
Learn MoreOpponents of immigration reform are getting ever wackier. On Monday, we wrote about a protest in Kansas that took place over the weekend at Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s house. The peaceful protest (you can see video here) left pairs of shoes at Kobach’s doorstep, to signify all the individuals and families that he and [...]
Learn MoreSince the CBO score applauding the economic merits of immigration reform came out yesterday, Sen. Jeff Sessions has been working hard to try and discredit the score by claiming that its analysis is all wrong. “CBO did not provide enough information to assess the assumptions it made about the educational background of illegal immigrants and [...]
Learn MoreEl Comité Judicial de la Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos inició hoy el proceso para reformar la ley de inmigración con un enfoque en la aplicación de la ley que los demócratas denunciaron como intentos para criminalizar a los indocumentados. El Comité, controlado por los republicanos, aprobó un proyecto de ley del legislador republicano [...]
Learn MoreUn informe de la Oficina de Presupuestos del Congreso reveló el martes que la reforma migratoria bipartidista será beneficiosa para el crecimiento económico de Estados Unidos. El reporte señala que el proyecto S. 744 que debate el senado reducirá el déficit en $197 mil millones en los próximos 10 años, dato que contrasta con los [...]
Learn MoreThe Senate Gang of 8 immigration bill received good news yesterday when the CBO reported that the legislation would save the country $197 billion in its first decade, and an additional $700 billion in the next 10 years after. Here’s a roundup of some of the commentary today on what the score means: From Ezra [...]
Learn MoreThe CBO score on the Senate Gang of 8 immigration bill shows that immigrants are a gain, not a drain, for our nation…
Learn MoreArizona Republic: House’s Boehner Calls Bill Lax on Border Security By Dan Nowicki Des Moines Register: Iowa Poll: 54% of Iowans Favor Creating Path to Citizenship By Jens Manuel Krogstad Washington Post: ICE Director John Morton Stepping Down By Josh Hicks New York Times: Immigration Bill Would Slash Deficit, Budget Office Finds By Ashley Parker [...]
Learn MoreThe following is a statement from Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, reacting to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scoring of the Senate’s immigration bill: The CBO score shows that there are now 197 billion reasons for Congress to do the right thing and pass immigration reform this year, and 700 billion more reasons over [...]
Learn MoreCongratulations, Jeff Sessions–you got your wish! For weeks now, the junior Senator from Alabama — and leading anti-immigrant voice in the Senate — has been complaining about the upcoming Congressional Budget Office score for the Senate Gang of 8 bill. The CBO usually scores a bill for 10 years, which Sessions didn’t think would be [...]
Learn More
