Majority of Trump backers say extra immigrants would make life worse for individuals like them; most Harris backers say life wouldn’t change
Pew Research Center carried out this examine to grasp Americans’ views on immigration and immigration coverage previous to the 2024 presidential election.
For this evaluation, we surveyed 9,201 adults – together with 7,569 registered voters – from Aug. 5 to 11, 2024. Everyone who took half on this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), a bunch of individuals recruited via nationwide, random sampling of residential addresses who've agreed to take surveys commonly. This type of recruitment offers practically all U.S. adults an opportunity of choice. Surveys have been carried out both on-line or by phone with a dwell interviewer. The survey is weighted to be consultant of the U.S. grownup inhabitants by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, training and different elements. Read extra in regards to the ATP’s methodology.
Here are the questions used for the report and its methodology.
Harris supporters are respondents who mentioned they'd vote for Kamala Harris, the Democrat, if the 2024 presidential election have been held right this moment, or those that mentioned they'd not vote for any of the candidates however lean towards Harris. Trump supporters are respondents who mentioned they'd vote for Donald Trump, the Republican, if the 2024 presidential election have been held right this moment, or those that mentioned they'd not vote for any of the candidates however lean towards Trump.
In a presidential race the place immigration has develop into a key and contentious issue, a Pew Research Center survey reveals huge variations and frequent floor on immigration coverage amongst registered voters who assist Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
The candidates have taken generally sharply different positions on immigration points that divide their supporters:
- Nearly nine-in-ten Trump supporters (88%) favor mass deportations of immigrants residing within the nation illegally. In distinction, solely 27% of Harris supporters favor mass deportations whereas 72% oppose.
- More than a 3rd of Trump supporters (37%) favor permitting undocumented immigrants to dwell and work within the U.S. if they're married to an American citizen, in contrast with 80% of Harris supporters who say the identical.
- About half of Trump supporters (49%) assist admitting extra civilian refugees who're escaping conflict or violence, however a majority of Harris supporters (85%) say the identical.
On different immigration points, Trump and Harris supporters share extra frequent floor:
- Improving border safety is supported by massive majorities of each Trump supporters (96%) and Harris supporters (80%).
- Admitting extra high-skilled immigrants is favored by 71% of Trump supporters and 87% of Harris supporters.
These findings come from a bilingual, nationally consultant survey of 9,201 adults – together with 7,569 registered voters – carried out Aug. 5-11, 2024, forward of the Democratic National Convention and a few month earlier than the Sept. 10 presidential debate.
The U.S. immigrant inhabitants has grown sharply over the many years, from 9.6 million in 1970 to 31.1 million in 2000 and virtually 48 million in 2023. These totals account for immigrants within the nation each legally and illegally.
Immigrants make up about 14.3% of the nation’s inhabitants, a near-record excessive. They are dispersed throughout all states and metro areas. And practically three-quarters of registered voters say they know somebody who was born exterior of the United States, in keeping with the survey.
Trump supporters have a extra unfavorable view than Harris supporters on the impression of immigrants on their lives. A majority of Trump supporters (59%) say that the rising variety of immigrants will make issues worse for individuals like them. But a majority of Harris supporters (65%) say that the rising variety of immigrants will make no distinction of their lives, with solely 11% saying it should make life worse for individuals like them.
Trump supporters have a combined view in regards to the impression of authorized immigration on the nation. A majority say immigrants residing within the nation legally both make the economic system higher (31%) or don’t have a lot of an impact on it (38%), whereas 29% say these immigrants make the economic system worse. By distinction, a transparent majority of Harris supporters (62%) say immigrants residing within the U.S. legally make the economic system higher.
Trump supporters have a way more unfavorable view of the impression of unlawful immigration. An overwhelming majority of Trump supporters (92%) say immigrants residing within the nation illegally make crime worse, in contrast with 37% of Harris supporters.
Notably, American voters have develop into much less probably than lately to say undocumented immigrants needs to be allowed to remain within the nation. About six-in-ten U.S. registered voters (59%) within the new survey say undocumented immigrants needs to be allowed to remain within the nation legally if sure necessities are met, down from 77% who mentioned the identical in 2017. Most Harris supporters (87%) say that there needs to be a manner for undocumented immigrants to remain within the nation legally, in contrast with solely a 3rd of Trump supporters (33%).
In the 2024 presidential race, Trump supporters place much more significance on immigration than Harris supporters. For Trump supporters, 82% say immigration is essential to their vote within the 2024 presidential election, trailing solely the economic system in significance, in keeping with a Center survey carried out in late August to early September. By distinction, simply 39% of Harris supporters say the problem of immigration is essential to their presidential vote this 12 months, behind all different points requested about within the survey, together with well being care, Supreme Court appointments, the economic system, abortion, gun coverage and local weather change.
Immigration to U.S. has rebounded from pandemic-era lows
Legal immigration to the U.S. has began to extend after a steep decline throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, in keeping with Center evaluation of information from the Department of Homeland Security. In 2023, about 1.1 million immigrants grew to become lawful everlasting residents of the U.S., a return to pre-pandemic ranges.
In addition, a report variety of immigrants crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with out authorization on the finish of 2023, although these flows have since dropped sharply. Both Republicans and Democrats have been crucial of the way in which the federal government has dealt with the state of affairs on the U.S. Mexico border.
Overall, confidence within the Biden administration’s dealing with of immigration has declined amongst each Republicans and Democrats. In July, 35% of American voters had confidence in Joe Biden to make smart choices about immigration. By September, extra voters had confidence in Trump (52%) on this subject than in Harris (45%) – although confidence in Harris is increased than it was in Biden.
Views on authorities management over unlawful and authorized immigration
In the brand new survey, two-thirds of Trump supporters (66%) say the U.S. authorities has little or no management over immigrants coming into the nation illegally, whereas fewer than half (40%) of Harris supporters say the identical.
By distinction, about half of each Trump (49%) and Harris (51%) supporters say the federal authorities has full or virtually full management over immigrants coming into nation legally. Somewhat related shares of Trump and Harris supporters (30% and 37%, respectively) say the federal government has a average diploma of management over authorized immigration.
Overall, 33% of Trump supporters say the federal government has not less than a average diploma of management over authorized immigration, in contrast with 59% of Harris supporters.
Despite settlement over the federal government’s management of authorized immigration, about three-quarters of each Trump (74%) and Harris (76%) supporters say the U.S. immigration system wants main adjustments or must be utterly rebuilt.
Views on the extent of unlawful and authorized immigration into the U.S.
Trump supporters specific far increased ranges of concern than Harris supporters about unlawful immigration. Most Trump supporters (87%) say they're very or extraordinarily involved in regards to the variety of immigrants coming into the nation illegally, whereas a few quarter of Harris supporters (27%) say the identical.
Just over a 3rd of Harris supporters say they're considerably involved (36%) about this, whereas an analogous share (37%) say they're not involved in regards to the variety of immigrants coming into the nation illegally.
Trump and Harris supporters are much less divided on the degrees of authorized immigration into the U.S. Nearly half of each Trump and Harris supporters say authorized immigration needs to be saved at its current degree – 48% and 44%, respectively.
But assist differs on the subject of altering the extent of authorized immigration into the U.S. A 3rd of Trump supporters (33%) favor decreased authorized immigration, and smaller shares (17%) say it needs to be elevated. Meanwhile, about four-in-ten Harris supporters (42%) favor elevated authorized immigration, with smaller shares favoring decreased immigration ranges.
How do registered voters view the impression of immigrants on U.S. society?
About three-quarters of U.S. immigrants are right here legally, and a few quarter are unauthorized immigrants.
Registered voters draw a distinction between immigrants residing within the nation illegally and legally on the subject of the impression immigrants have on society. For instance, a majority of registered voters say that immigrants residing within the nation illegally have unfavorable impacts on public assets (70%) and on crime (64%). By distinction, practically half of voters say that immigrants residing within the nation legally have a optimistic impression on U.S. economic system.
The impression of immigrants residing within the nation illegally
Majorities of Trump supporters say immigrants residing within the nation illegally make issues worse on the subject of crime (92%), public assets like housing, training or well being care (92%), the U.S. economic system (85%) and social and cultural values (76%).
Harris supporters have a mixture of optimistic and unfavorable views in regards to the impression of immigrants residing within the nation illegally.
- 56% of Harris supporters say immigrants residing within the nation illegally don’t have a lot impact on crime, with 37% saying they make issues worse.
- 38% of Harris supporters say immigrants within the nation illegally make issues higher for the U.S. economic system, whereas 32% say they don’t have a lot of an impact and 28% say they make issues worse.
- 49% say immigrants residing within the nation illegally make issues worse on the subject of public assets, whereas 40% say they don’t have a lot an impact.
Should immigrants residing within the nation illegally be eligible for public help?
Unauthorized immigrants are ineligible for most federally funded public benefits. And immigrant eligibility for public help differs throughout state and native ranges. For instance, California affords financial aid to unauthorized immigrant college students, whereas Minnesota will quickly permit unauthorized immigrants to entry health insurance protection provided to low-income residents.
Survey findings present {that a} majority (81%) of voters say immigrants who're residing within the U.S. illegally ought to not be eligible for public help.
Nearly all Trump supporters (96%) say immigrants residing within the nation illegally shouldn't be eligible for public help from state and native governments. A majority of Harris supporters (68%) say the identical, whereas practically a 3rd (31%) say immigrants residing within the nation illegally ought to be eligible for public help.
The impression of immigrants residing within the nation legally
Harris supporters are extra probably than Trump supporters to say immigrants residing within the nation legally enhance the U.S. economic system, science and technological innovation, and social and cultural values.
- 62% of Harris supporters say immigrants residing within the nation legally make issues higher for the U.S. economic system, in contrast with 31% of Trump supporters.
- 57% of Harris supporters say immigrants residing within the nation legally make issues higher for science and technological innovation, in contrast with 33% of Trump supporters.
Notably, a majority of registered voters (62%) say immigrants residing within the nation legally do not need a lot impact on crime, with 71% of Harris supporters and 53% of Trump supporters saying so. Still, 36% of Trump supporters say authorized immigrants make crime worse.
Sizable shares of Trump supporters (42%) and Harris supporters (52%) say immigrants residing within the nation legally do not need a lot impact on public assets corresponding to housing, training or well being care.
Should immigrants residing within the nation legally be eligible for public help?
Notably, majorities of each Trump (69%) and Harris (89%) supporters say authorized immigrants ought to be eligible for public help by state and native governments, reflecting their markedly completely different views on immigrants residing within the nation legally and these within the nation illegally.
