Gallup: Only 3% of Americans Believe Immigration Most Important Issue

Though Republicans and Democrats in favor of comprehensive immigration reform are ready to make a final push next year, a new national Gallup poll released on Thursday found that only 3% of the country believes immigration reform is the most important issue that needs to be addressed. 

The top concern of Americans who were surveyed was “dissatisfaction with the government” (21%). That was followed by the economy (19%), healthcare (17%), unemployment (12), the budget deficit (9%), moral/ethical decline (7%), poverty/hunger/homelessness (5%), and education (4%). 

Immigration also does not register among the top-five most important issues to Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. 

Yet, amnesty advocates cheered when Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced a budget deal this week, believing that would clear the way for a vote on immigration reform in the House. The Senate has already passed a bill that includes a pathway to citizenship, and Democrats and Republicans have indicated they would try to break up the comprehensive immigration bill into various pieces and pass them all. 

The economy came in second on Gallup’s survey, and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has warned that a pathway to citizenship provision would lower the wages of working class Americans.

Gallup conducted its survey December 5-8, and the poll has a margin of error of +/- four percentage points.