59% of US voters want immigrants to get American citizenship, finds Pew survey

In November, Americans will decide if it is going to be Donald Trump or Joe Biden as the next US President. The votes will not be cast on just the individual candidates but also on key issues of the American people and how both candidates promise to address them. A new Pew Research Centre survey reveals how US Biden and Trump voters view the key issues, including immigration.

The survey shows that 59% of US voters want immigrants to be given American citizenship. However, there is also a rise in the number of people seeking deportation of illegal immigrants. Since 2021, the number has now increased from 26% to 37%.

While Biden has promised citizenship to spouses of American citizens, Trump has promised “the largest deportation operation in American history”.

This is a reflection of the central debates in the US elections — immigration, deportation of illegal immigrants and acceptance of people who do not speak a similar language. Recently, the Pew Research Centre conducted a survey and asked Americans about their “immigration attitudes”.

IMMIGRATION ATTITUDES: A CONTENTIOUS ISSUE IN US ELECTIONS

Voters supporting Joe Biden and others who support Donald Trump have shown different views on the issue of immigration.

This is a part of long-existing differences between the voters of the Republicans and the Democrats and recent differences on the US-Mexico border.

They also differ on the larger issues of whether the US being open to immigrants from all over the world is a core part of the national identity or not. It is also on the subject how open Americans are to people speaking other languages than English.

Almost six of 10 registered voters, or 59%, want undocumented immigrants to have a chance at getting US citizenship, according to the Pew survey. Out of the 59% of people, 36% believe that immigrants should be able to apply for citizenship. Another 22% believe that they should even be allowed to apply for permanent residency.

Around four out of 10 voters (41%) think that undocumented immigrants should not be allowed to be in the country. Over 37% of these voters believe that undocumented immigrants should be deported.

DEPORTATION FROM US: TRUMP VOTERS VS BIDEN VOTERS

Deportation is also a widely debated issue in the US. Around six of 10 Trump supporters (63%) believe these immigrants should be deported from the US; only 11% of Biden voters believe in the same.

Around 85% of Biden supporters believe immigrants should not be deported. As many as 56% believe that this should lead to immigrants applying for citizenship.

Only 32% of Trump supporters think immigrants should have legal status and 15% say they should be a way for them to get citizenship.

Although many Americans believe that immigrants should remain in the US, the numbers have dropped since 2020. Earlier, 74% had said immigrants should remain in the US.

In the category of Republican voters, around 66% believe immigrants should not remain in the US. This is an increase from 54% in April 2021 and 42% in 2020.

MORE PEOPLE WANT IMMIGRANTS DEPORTED NOW

There are growing concerns about immigrants taking the resources of American citizens and this is also reflected in the number of people who are in favour of deporting them. Since 2021, the number has now increased from 26% to 37%.

A majority of Republican voters, 63%, share the view that illegal immigrants should be deported. This is an increase from 49% in 2021.

Among Trump voters, Hispanics, who are 46% of the overall Trump voters, are more likely to say that immigrants should be allowed to stay in the US.

Another factor which divides Biden and Trump voters is their attitude towards hearing “other languages in public places”. Around 69% of Trump supporters under the age of 50 are comfortable listening to other languages than English in their community.

Among Biden supporters, 92% of people 50 and below in age and 76% of those 50 and older share their comfort in listening to other languages than English.