Poll After Poll Shows Dreamer Relief Should Be a No-Brainer for Congress
The newest installment of the national Marist poll, released today, is the latest reminder that Americans, including Republicans, overwhelmingly back efforts to keep Dreamers here in America.
- By an 81-15% margin, Americans support allowing Dreamers to stay in the U.S. and gain legal residency. When provided three options regarding Dreamers:
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- 58% of Americans back citizenship (“should be allowed to stay in the United States and become citizens”);
- 23% back legal status short of citizenship (“should be allowed to stay in the United States and become legal residents but not citizens”); and
- 15% supporting deporting Dreamers (“should be deported”).
- By party affiliation, at least two-thirds of every subgroup backs legal status and “citizenship” is most popular option among every party:
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- Democrats at 92% (74% citizenship, 18% legal status, 5% deportation);
- Independents at 82% (57% citizenship, 25% legal status, 14% deportation); and
- Republicans at 67% (40% citizenship, 27% legal status; 29% deportation).
According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
Keeping Dreamers in America – the country they grew up in and the place that is home – is overwhelmingly popular across the country and across the political spectrum. Why are so many Republicans in Congress and the White House treating this like it’s a controversial issue? It’s not. The American people want their elected representatives to formally recognize Dreamers as the Americans they already are, and Congress should get the job done before they go home for the holidays.
Among other recent polls that demonstrate broad and deep support for efforts to keep Dreamers in America include:
- PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute) 2017 American Values Survey poll (Dec. 2017): By a 72-25% margin, Americans favor allowing “illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to gain legal resident status if they join the military or go to college.” As PRRI explains, “Support for this policy has increased substantially from 57% in 2011.” 81% of Democrats and 63% of Republicans are supportive of Dreamers in the 2017 version of the survey.
- CBS News poll (Dec. 2017): 84% of the public, including 93% of Democrats, 82% of Independents, and 74% of Republicans, support efforts to keep Dreamers here in America. The question asked, “do you favor or oppose allowing young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children to remain in the country if they meet certain requirements such as going to school or joining the military, and not having a criminal record?”
- Public Policy Polling of 25 Republican-held “swing” House districts (Dec. 2017): By a 68-22% margin, voters in these battleground Republican-held congressional districts back the Dream Act. The question asked, “legislation known as the Dream Act that would allow young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. unlawfully as children to remain in the country, as long as they meet certain requirements such as going to school or joining the military, and not having a criminal record?”
- Politico/Morning Consult poll (Nov 2017): A combined 71% of the public supports protecting Dreamers, while only 15% are opposed to such congressional action. When asked, how important of a priority should it be for Congress to pass “a bill that grants young people who were brought to the United States illegally when they were children, often with their parents, protection from deportation?”: “A top priority” was the plurality choice of the public (29%), while “Important but lower priority” (27%) and “Not too important” (15%) were the other supportive responses (totaling up to 71%). Meanwhile, only 15% said legislation protecting Dreamers “Should Not be done” (15%), while an additional 15% said “Don’t know/no opinion” (15%).
- AP/NORC poll (Oct 2017): When asked, “Do you favor, oppose, or neither favor nor oppose providing a way for immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children to stay legally?” 60% of Americans back legalization, 22% oppose legalization, and 19% are either undecided or neither favor nor oppose. Each of Democrats (81-10%), Independents (45-22%), and Republicans (42-37%) favor the legalization option
- Fox News poll (Sept 2017): By an 86-12% margin, Americans favor “granting work permits” to “illegal immigrants under the age of 30 brought here as children, provided they pass a background check.” By a 79-19% margin, Americans favor granting U.S. citizenship to this population. 63% of Trump voters back citizenship for Dreamers. Additionally, 62% say it is “extremely” or “very important” Congress pass an immigration law that will address the Dreamers – a higher percentage than “passing new health care” (58%) or tax reform (52%).
- Quinnipiac University poll (Sept. 2017): 88% of Americans, and 79% of Republicans, support efforts to allow Dreamers to stay in this country and eventually apply for either citizenship or legal status short of citizenship. This includes 82% of Americans, including 69% of Republicans, who back citizenship for Dreamers. Only 10% of Americans and 18% of Republicans support removing Dreamers from the country.
- CBS News poll (Sept. 2017): By an 87-10% margin, Americans back efforts to allow Dreamers to stay in the U.S., including by a 79-16% margin among Republicans
- Washington Post/ABC News poll (Sept 2017): 86% of Americans, including 75% of Republicans, back an approach allowing Dreamers to stay in the U.S.
- CNN poll (Sept. 2017): By an 82-14% margin overall, and a 74-21% margin among Republicans, Americans back an approach allowing Dreamers to stay in the U.S. and ensure that they are not exposed to deportation.
- Harvard-Harris poll (Sept. 2017): 77% of Americans, including 66% of Republicans, back citizenship for Dreamers.
- Politico/Morning Consult poll (Sept. 2017): 73% of Americans, including 70% of Republicans, support either citizenship or legalization for Dreamers.
- Latino Decisions poll (Sept. 2017): Latino voters nationwide want Congress to pass the Dream Act with a path to citizenship by a 91-9% margin, including 83-17% among Latino Republicans.
