Immigration Reform - What Voters Think

Now let's take a look at the immigration polling. 72% continue to support comprehensive immigration reform. Right? They favor a deal which brings together all of these elements of stronger security, eliminating the lottery, giving green cards or work permits to those who are here under DACA. And so we see once again that a majority of the American public supports an across the board compromise on the immigration issues, as month after month nothing moves through Congress.

People are divided between is it more important to stick with the relative or family-based system we have versus a more merit based, but they do agree that there is a growing humanitarian and security crisis at the border with Mexico. 56%, it's rather puzzling that the Senate including Republican Senators keep voting to take back the emergency declaration, when most of the people in the United States have come to see that there is in fact an emergency at the border in their view.

They still considerably underestimate the number of people crossing the border illegally, and about 53% think barriers would be ineffective, 48% think that barriers would be effective. But 67% believe that our current security is inadequate, and 77% reject the idea of open borders. So, when you look at it, Americans have a very sophisticated view of immigration. They know how they want it to work. They don't want open borders. They want compassion for the people that are here. They want some combination of barriers and other techniques to really create an effective border, and to diminish the problem.

But if I ask do you support or oppose building a combination of physical and electronic barriers across the U.S. Mexico border, 60% support that. And do you think increased illegal immigration reduces wages to workers, increases them, or has no effect? 42% no effect, 46% reduces, and 12% say they increase it. So what you've got is 46% who think that it is bringing down wages. And they are the counterforce here that makes this such a complex and difficult issue. When asked about crime, 50% believe that illegal immigration increases crime, 41% no effect, 9% reduces it.

When it comes to the rules on asylum seekers, 47% think that those rules should be general, allowing people who are fleeing violence to claim asylum here in the United States, while 53% believe that only those fleeing religious or political violence specifically aimed at them should be able to declare asylum. And 45%, not a full majority, but 45% think that asylum rules should be tightened, 25% loosened, and 31% kept as is. As you can see what a difficult issue it is, and how close the numbers are on immigration on issue after issue. But should people with questionable asylum claims be let into the United States for years until their case comes up? Or should they immediately be turned back to Mexico for staging? Here is where the President has an advantage on this issue. 61% say should be immediately turned back, 39% say should be let into the United States.

So they prefer compassion. They are divided on what the exact asylum rules should be, but they do think that having people come in, claim a false asylum, if that's what they're doing, and be held here in the United States for years doesn't make a lot of sense compared to holding them in Mexico or other countries.