With the news of a massive influx of immigrants on the southern border, a new Gallup Poll shows that only 22% of Americans favor increased immigration.
Only 14% of Republicans, 23% of independents, and 27% of Democrats favor increased immigration.
The poll actually revealed a strong desire among Americans to decrease immigration, as 41% of respondents thought immigration should be decreased. This included 50% of GOP voters, 43% of independents, and 32% of Democrats. The percentage of those preferring to decrease immigration has jumped from 35% in 2012 and 2013 to 41% in 2014.
There has been a slow but steady growth since 1999, when 10% of voters supported immigration, as opposed to 22% in 2014. One explanation offered is that some business leaders favor it so that highly skilled foreign nationals can emigrate to the U.S.
Much of this support for increased immigration comes from Americans with college degrees; from 2000 to 2104, adults with a postgraduate education strengthened their support from 17% to 30%.
Significantly, although 63% of Americans view immigration positively in 2014, that number has dropped 9 percentage points since 2013, when it stood at 72%.
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