U.S. public seldom has welcomed refugees into country
Public opinion data going back to the 1930s shows that generally speaking, Americans oppose large numbers of refugees entering the country.
How U.S. immigration laws and rules have changed through history
The United States began regulating immigration soon after it won independence from Great Britain, and the laws since enacted have reflected the politics and migrant flows of the times. We looked at key immigration laws from 1790 to 2014.
On views of immigrants, Americans largely split along party lines
About half of Republicans (53%) say immigrants coming to the U.S. make society worse in the long run, compared with just 24% of Democrats who say the same.
Modern Immigration Wave Brings 59 Million to U.S., Driving Population Growth and Change Through 2065
The nation's foreign-born population has swelled from 10 million in 1965 to a record 45 million in 2015. By 2065, the U.S. will have a projected 78 million immigrants.
Catholics, especially Hispanics, echo pope’s call to embrace immigrants
Nearly nine-in-ten Hispanic Catholics (88%) say that undocumented immigrants who meet certain requirements should be able to stay in the U.S.
What Americans, Europeans think of immigrants
Many U.S. Catholics will understand Pope Francis’ Spanish-language Mass
A majority of all Hispanic adults identify as Catholic and a large majority of Hispanic Catholics speak Spanish fluently. Eight-in-ten Hispanic Catholics use mostly Spanish or are bilingual. In fact, they are more likely to be Spanish speakers than non-Catholic Hispanics (68%).
What Americans want to do about illegal immigration
There is little support overall for an effort to deport all those in the U.S. illegally, but past surveys have found support for building a barrier along the Mexican border and for banning birthright citizenship.
Refugees stream into Europe, where they are not welcomed with open arms
Many Europeans, especially in the continent's south, hold negative views of immigrants and are concerned about new arrivals from outside the EU.
Unauthorized Immigrants: Who they are and what the public thinks
Immigration continues to loom as a major issue in 2015, following President Obama's executive actions last year expanding the number of undocumented immigrants permitted to work and stay in the U.S. A roundup of facts about unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. and public opinion.
