FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Amid new limitations on the legal immigration process set by President Donald Trump’s administration, a recent poll indicates that U.S. adults are more supportive of legal immigrants than they were a year ago.
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research’s survey reveals that compared to March 2024, more Americans now view the contribution of legally arriving immigrants to economic growth and offering essential skills to American businesses as a “major benefit.” Additionally, there is a decrease in the percentage of Americans who believe the number of legal immigrants should be reduced compared to January. Close to half of Americans think the level should stay consistent, similar to earlier in the year.
On the other hand, views on illegal immigration have not seen significant change. Most Americans still perceive fewer positives from illegal immigration and are more concerned about potential risks, such as the possibility of these immigrants committing crimes.
While President Trump has concentrated efforts on apprehending and removing those in the country without authorization, heightened security screenings, increased fees, and stricter regulations are affecting those seeking to enter the U.S. legally for work or study. Last Friday, Trump announced changes to the H-1B visa program, a key route for highly skilled foreign workers, now imposing a $100,000 application fee. The administration is also implementing “anti-Americanism” checks for green card seekers and requires social media scrutiny for student visa applicants.
Notably, even Republicans have shown a shift in views, being less inclined to favor reducing legal immigration and more supportive of maintaining current levels than earlier this year.
Philip Steers from St. Petersburg, Florida, identifies as a Republican and believes the U.S. sets overly stringent legal migration policies. His nephew is married to a Cambodian woman, and they have faced prolonged challenges in obtaining a spousal visa.
“If you are pushing all those people who are illegal out, why not make it easier for people who want to come here legally?” said Steers, 76. “We need to speed up the process for those who want to come here to benefit our country.”
Republicans less likely to want to reduce legal immigration
While slightly fewer than half of U.S. adults say the number of legal immigrants should stay as it is, about one-quarter say the number of legal immigrants to the U.S. should be reduced “a lot” or “a little.” That marks a decrease from January, when about one-third said this.
The drop is largely driven by Republicans. About 3 in 10 Republicans now say that legal immigration should be reduced, down from 45% in January.
About 3 in 10 U.S. adults say the number of legal immigrants to the U.S. should be increased “a lot” or “a little,” up slightly from January, when 24% of Americans wanted an increase in legal immigration.
“If you don’t have immigration as a culture, the culture will stagnate. You have to have that balance,” Steers said.
More see benefits from immigrants for economic growth and companies
Americans are more likely to see “major” benefits from people who come to the U.S. legally and less likely to see “major” risks, compared with an AP-NORC poll conducted early last year.
About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say a “major” benefit of immigrants in the country legally is that they contribute to economic growth, which went up from about 4 in 10 in March 2024. Similarly, 51% of U.S. adults say a “major” benefit of legal immigration is that American companies get the expertise of skilled workers in fields like science and technology, compared with 41% in March 2024.
Carlos Gonzalez, who was born in the U.S. to Panamanian parents, said immigrants “provide a lot to the economy of the United States.”
“They bring different ideas that help the economy,” said Gonzalez, 53, a Democrat from Waterbury, Connecticut, adding his mother served as a military nurse in Vietnam. “A lot of people don’t realize that when they do come over here, they try to enrich the country and not take away from it.”
Some of the perceived benefits are economic, but some are cultural, with about 46% saying a “major” benefit of legal immigrants is that they enrich American culture and values, up from 38% in the previous poll.
Shifting views don’t extend to immigrants in the country illegally
Jeff Witoszczak, of El Paso, Texas, identifies as a moderate Republican and supports Trump’s efforts to conduct large-scale deportations of people in the country illegally, saying he does not think the focus needs to be on those who have committed violent crimes. Witoszczak is married to a woman from Mexico who came to the U.S. legally when she was a child.
“Coming here illegally, that’s a crime in and of itself,” Witoszczak said. “They didn’t follow due process coming in. They don’t need due process going out.”
Americans tend to see greater risks — and smaller benefits — from immigrants who are in the country illegally, and these views largely haven’t shifted since last year.
About 4 in 10 U.S. adults now say it’s a major benefit that immigrants in the country illegally will take jobs Americans don’t want, up from about one-third last year. And 42% say that immigrants in the country illegally contribute to economic growth, and 32% believe that they enrich American culture and values. Those findings have remained steady since last year.
About half of U.S. adults say it’s a major risk that immigrants in the country illegally will burden welfare and safety net programs. Studies have shown that immigrants who work in the country illegally pay local, state and federal taxes and generally do not qualify for federal benefits.
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The AP-NORC poll of 1,183 adults was conducted Sept. 11-15, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
