Survey Shows that Most Support Legal Status for "Dreamers" & Amnesty for Undocumented Immigrants

According to a new Pew Research survey, Americans broadly support legal status for "Dreamers," undocumented immigrants brought to America illegally when they were children. More surprisingly, the vast majority of respondents also support amnesty for all undocumented workers as long as certain conditions are met, such as paying a fine and any taxes owed.

According to the Pew study, 74% of us now favor a law to provide permanent legal status to "Dreamers " while 24% are opposed. There is still a substantial gap in opinion based on political party, however. 91% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents favor granting legal status to the "dreamers," but only about half of Republicans (54%) agree. Still, it's noteworthy that so many Republicans are now sympathetic to a cause that was championed so vocally by President Obama.

Perhaps the most surprising result from the Pew study was the high level of support for amnesty for America's millions of undocumented workers. This is especially remarkable because the survey was conducted during a time of quickly rising unemployment in the United States.

Pew: "Overall, three-quarters of adults say there should be a way for undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. to stay in the country legally if certain conditions are met. Majorities in both party coalitions express support, but Democrats are again much more likely than Republicans to do so (89% vs. 57%)."

The result suggests that President Trump may not get quite as much mileage out of immigrant-bashing this election cycle. More Americans than ever appear to understand the important role undocumented immigrants have in our economy, especially in sectors like agriculture, construction and health care.

#news #research #immigration

By: Don Lam & Curated Content