tags: , , , Polling

Majority of Public Supports Path Towards Citizenship

Share This:

May 2011

In May 2011, Pew Research Center released a poll, “Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology.” The new study is based on two surveys with a combined sample of 3,029 adults, conducted Feb. 22-Mar. 14, 2011 and a smaller callback survey conducted April 7-10, 2011 with 1,432 of the same respondents. The margins of sampling error for survey A and B is plus or minus 2.2.

Majority of Public Supports Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants Currently In the Country.  Respondents were asked: “Thinking about illegal immigration in the United States, do you favor or oppose providing a way for illegal immigrants currently in the country to gain legal citizenship if they pass background checks, pay fines, and have jobs?”  By a 72%-24% margin, overall voters supported a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently in the United States.

When broken up by political typology, Main Street Republicans support a path to citizenship 58%-39%, Libertarians support it 66%-32%, Disaffecteds support it 65%-29%, Post-Moderns support it 87%-13%, New Coalition Democrats support it 80%-12%, Hard-Pressed Democrats support it 61%-35% and Solid Liberals support it 94%-4%.  Only staunch conservatives are split 49%-49%.  [PEW Research Center, Center for American Progress]