{"id":262726,"date":"2025-06-17T14:28:28","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T18:28:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?p=262726"},"modified":"2025-06-17T14:28:36","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T18:28:36","slug":"how-the-u-s-should-handle-immigrants-living-in-the-country-illegally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2025\/06\/17\/how-the-u-s-should-handle-immigrants-living-in-the-country-illegally\/","title":{"rendered":"1. How the U.S. should handle immigrants living in the country illegally"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Chart<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As in past years, a majority of Americans say there should be ways for immigrants who are currently living in the country illegally to stay legally if certain requirements are met \u2013 65% say this today. But the share who say this is lower than a few years ago, with more now saying that there should not<\/em> be a path to legal status and that there should be a national deportation effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, 31% of U.S. adults say there should be a national deportation effort. While this has changed little in the last year, it has risen steadily over the prior several years: In 2017, 19% backed a national deportation effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have long been substantial gaps in these views between racial and ethnic groups and between Republicans and Democrats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terminology<\/summary>\n

In this report, the terms people or immigrants<\/strong> living in the country illegally<\/strong> and undocumented<\/strong> immigrants<\/strong> are used interchangeably to describe the population of immigrants who are living in U.S. without current legal authorization.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Views among racial and ethnic groups<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

While majorities across racial and ethnic groups say that undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay in the country legally if they meet certain requirements, Hispanic (83%) and Black (78%) adults are more likely than Asian (63%) and White (58%) adults to say this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, 38% of White adults and 30% of Asian adults say there should be a national effort to deport immigrants in the country illegally, while far smaller shares of Black (17%) and Hispanic (14%) adults hold this view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partisan views<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Democrats and Democratic leaners<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Nearly nine-in-ten Democrats \u2013 86% of conservative and moderate Democrats and 93% of liberal Democrats \u2013 say there should be a way for undocumented immigrants who meet requirements to stay in the country legally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, support for a path to citizenship is higher among liberal Democrats (65%) than among conservatives and moderates (45%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Republicans and Republican leaners<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

A 59% majority of Republicans say undocumented immigrants should not be eligible to stay in the country legally, even if they meet certain requirements, while 41% say there should be a pathway to legal status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are ideological differences within the GOP. About two-thirds of conservative Republicans (66%) say that undocumented immigrants should not <\/em>be allowed to stay in the country legally, with 63% saying there should be a national deportation effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By contrast, moderate and liberal Republicans are more divided: 53% say that undocumented immigrants should<\/em> be allowed to stay if certain requirements are met (23% say this should include eligibility for citizenship, while 29% say it should include permanent residency but not citizenship). And 46% of Republicans in these ideological groups say undocumented immigrants should not be able to stay, including 44% who say there should be a national deportation effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chart<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Within the Republican coalition, there are differences by race and ethnicity as well as age in support for a national deportation effort:<\/p>\n\n\n\n