New polling from Data for Progress finds that the green card/citizenship proposals of Democrats’ budget package are overwhelmingly popular and supported across party lines, with intensity strongly favoring the pro-immigrant respondents.
The question asked: “Do you support or oppose legislation that would create an earned path to citizenship for Dreamers (undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children), people who are contributing and working here legally due to war or natural disaster in their home countries, and farmworkers and other essential workers?”
The key findings of the Data for Progress poll:
- Overall: By 67- 26%, voters support a path to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, farm workers and essential workers.
- Support by Party ID: Democrats support by 84-5%; Independents support by 65-26%; Republicans support by 51-45%.
- Intensity: 34% of voters “strongly support” citizenship; only 16% “strongly oppose”
The Data for Progress poll mirrors the findings on other recent polling on citizenship – finding ~70% support, including majorities of independent and Republican respondents. Meanwhile, immigration polling from Gallup finds that over the past quarter century Americans have become increasingly pro-immigrant. Currently, Americans believe that immigration is a good thing rather than a bad thing by a 75-21% margin. Gallup has been asking this question since 1965 and these results are near the record-high recorded last year (see here for more).
According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
The American people have decided. The consensus view is that Congress should enact legislation that formally recognizes undocumented immigrants as the Americans they already are. The support is bipartisan, coming from a majority of Democrats, independents and Republicans. Intensity for their position favors supporters over opponents by two to one.
With elected Republicans in Washington, D.C. bowing to Trumpism and opposed to the Democrats’ push to create pathways to permanent residence and eventual citizenship, it is up to the Democrats in Congress to use every ounce of their majority to achieve a breakthrough 35 years in the making. This is the year.
