Children play in the makeshift shelter camps for Central American migrants while awaiting the US authorities to allow them to enter to begin their process of asylum into the country, on March 26, 2021 in Tijuana, Mexico. | Francisco Vega/Getty Images
Immigration remains top of the mind for many voters this election season as candidates running at all levels pledge action on the southern border, with former President Donald Trump leading the charge for many Republicans seeking office.
Since his 2016 presidential campaign, undocumented immigration has been a central issue in Trump’s campaigns, with the former president promising to undertake the “largest domestic deportation operation in America,” on day one if he’s elected to a second term.
However, when presented with a choice to create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who had been living in the U.S., a majority of U.S. citizens — including voters in six key swing states — said they would prefer that solution over mass deportation, according to a survey conducted by the University of Maryland Program for Public Consultation (PPC).
The survey, released Thursday, examines support for multiple immigration policies nationally, while zooming in on voter attitudes in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
In Michigan, 63% of respondents said they would support a path to citizenship, compared to 58% of the U.S. as a whole.
Data from the University of Maryland Program for Public Consultation shows a bipartisan majority of voters prefer offering a path to citizenship in addressing undocumented immigration in the U.S. | Photo courtesy of the Program for Public Consultation, School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland
The survey asked voters if they would support “a new type of visa that would be available to undocumented immigrants who have been living in the US for some years and have not committed a serious crime. They would pay a penalty and any taxes they owe. After several years, they would be allowed to apply for citizenship. Those who do not apply or qualify for the visa would be subject to deportation.”
Overall, 55 to 65% of voters across the swing states surveyed endorsed a path to citizenship over mass deportation.
While 77% of Michigan Democrats surveyed said they would prefer a path to citizenship, 50% of Michigan Republicans also backed a legal citizenship option, compared to 38% who supported mass deportation of undocumented immigrants.
The survey found majority support for a number of policies to strengthen the southern border among both political parties, with 73% of Michigan voters saying they would support a proposal to increase the number of Border Patrol agents from about 20,000 to 22,000 and provide more funding for surveillance.
While a majority of Michigander surveyed supported building more walls at the southern border, Democrats and Republicans split on the issue, with 78% of Republicans in favor and 57% of Democrats opposed. Across the nation, about 55% of voters supported additional border wall construction, drawing support from 72% of Republicans and 43% of Democrats.
Survey data from the University of Maryland Program for Public Consultation examines support for hiring additional border patrol personnel in six swing states. | Photo courtesy of the Program for Public Consultation, School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland
Voters from both parties also showed support for policies that would make it more difficult for undocumented immigrants to find employment in the states while increasing the availability of work visas.
When asked if they would support requiring employers to verify all new hires can legally work in the U.S. through the E-Verify system, 67% of Michiganders said they would.
Additionally, 65% of Michigan voters supported increasing the number of work visas available for migrant workers, provided there is demand, with 80% of Democrats giving their approval while Republicans split on the issue with 51% in favor and 49% opposed.
Tying E-Verify requirements to increasing available work visas also boosted support, with 72% of Michiganders supporting proposals as a package.
Michigan Republicans also split on whether to hire more judges to address a record-high backlog in asylum cases, with 48% in favor and 51% opposed. Overall, 60% of Michigan voters said they would support hiring several hundred more immigration judges, including 75% of Democrats.
When looking at the data across the country and the swing states surveyed, Steven Kull, director of the Program for Public Consultation, said its clear people aren’t happy with the number of illegal border crossings, but rather than taking a stance for or against immigration, they showed support on a legal framework for migrants to assimilate legally.
The University of Maryland Program for Public Consultation surveyed voters in six swing states on whether they would support building additional barriers alongside the southern border. | Photo courtesy of the Program for Public Consultation, School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland
“It’s not for or against immigration, it’s ‘let’s channel the process into a legal framework,’” Kull said.
When asked about the lack of strong support of mass deportation among Republicans, Kull noted there are a number of factors at play that may sway those attitudes, including arguments as to whether a large-scale deportation operation is feasible and that mass deportation could disrupt the economy.
He also noted how pairing E-Verify requirements with an increase in work visas helped bring more Democrats on board.
While some Democrats may not like the idea of going after migrants, doing raids and cracking down on employers, integrating it with an idea that showcases legal pathways for migrants makes it more attractive overall rather than tying the issue into the pro-immigrant, anti-immigrant debate or assumptions that the policy is driven by racism, Kull said.
“I think this suggests that, you know that, there really is a kind of emergent or potential consensus, common ground here.”
A survey from the University of Maryland Program for Public Consultation examined voter support in six swing states for increasing the number of work visas compared to voters in the rest of the nation. | Photo courtesy of the Program for Public Consultation, School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland
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