What Americans think about Trump’s immigration actions early in his second term
Nearly six-in-ten Americans (59%) say they approve of Trump increasing efforts to deport people who are living in the U.S. illegally.
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Nearly six-in-ten Americans (59%) say they approve of Trump increasing efforts to deport people who are living in the U.S. illegally.
About four-in-ten Americans (42%) say highly skilled workers should be given top priority to legally immigrate to the U.S.
Among those who support mass deportations, 43% also say undocumented immigrants should have a way to stay in the country legally.
Three-quarters of voters say undocumented immigrants fill jobs citizens don’t want, while 61% say the same of legal immigrants.
Most say they’d move to the U.S. again if they could and cite a good comparative standard of living. But 59% also see major issues with the immigration system.
The number of immigrants living in the U.S. grew by about 1.6 million people in 2023, the largest annual increase by number since 2000.
A majority of Trump backers say more immigrants would make life worse for people like them, while most Harris backers say life wouldn’t change.
More Latino registered voters back Kamala Harris (57%) than Donald Trump (39%), and supporters of each candidate prioritize different issues.
Naturalized citizens make up a record number of eligible voters in 2022, most of whom have lived here more than 20 years.
Mexicans hold generally positive views of the United States, while Americans hold generally negative views of Mexico – a reversal from 2017.
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