A biennial survey first conducted in 1972 has found that more Americans support keeping immigration at current or increased levels than at any time in the poll’s history.
According to an AP report, the General Social Survey data released in March 2019 found that in 2018, 41% of those surveyed felt immigration to the U.S. should remain at current levels, and 23% supported increased levels of immigration. Only thirty-four percent felt that immigration should be reduced.
These survey results show a marked change in attitudes not only since 2004, but even since 2016. In the past two years, support for higher immigration levels grew by 6%, while support for decreased immigration shrank by 7%.
However, the report also showed the partisan divide around immigration, with Democrats far more likely to favor the same or increased immigration levels, and Republicans twice as supportive than Democrats of reduced immigration. Nonetheless, Republican support for increased immigration grew slightly, and 10% fewer Republicans want reduced immigration compared to survey results in 2016.
Overall, however, the numbers in this and other polls reflect that the U.S. public is far more accepting of immigration as a strength than the administration’s rhetoric and actions would indicate.