Most Americans support
immigration reform, according to a new study by the Public Religion Research Institute.
The study found that only seven percent of Americans believe that the
immigration system is generally working, and even more conservative groups showed
surprising support for immigration reform. A majority of Republicans,
Democrats, and independents all reported that they would support an earned path
to citizenship for people who are currently undocumented but want to stay in the United States.
The survey
showed that most Americans care about the same values in changes to immigration laws, including keeping families together, national
security, and promoting personal dignity. Nearly two-thirds
of Americans supported the core provisions of the DREAM Act: that undocumented
immigrants should be able to gain legal permanent resident status if they join
the U.S. military or go to college. Vice President Joe Biden, in a recent speech, also encouraged policies that would
allow undocumented people a legal path to citizenship, and spoke in favor of
granting green cards to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)
graduates.
Younger
Americans, especially those between the ages of 18 and 29, agreed with positive
statements about immigration more often than older people did. Significantly, nearly
7 in 10 people under age 30 said that immigrants strengthen
American culture. Younger Americans were also more likely to say that
immigrants who have a gay or lesbian spouse currently living in the U.S. with
legal status should be given priority in immigration.
Read more about the survey at the New York Times.
