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© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Poll: More Americans want immigration to stay the same
By AMY TAXIN WASHINGTON©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
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PTownsend
Trump's base remain a minority of the US population. The US Constitution needs to be upheld to ensure the balance and separation of powers is maintained and the executive's powers are limited to what is legally permissible. Those pushing for more executive powers need to recall what happened in Europe in the 1930's.
SuperLib
These numbers will continue to improve for immigrants as the older, racist part of the GOP dies off.
jcapan
LOL. So, after more than two years with a xenophobic bigot running the nation, people, including those in his own party, are more tolerant and welcoming than ever.
-34 percent of Americans want immigration levels to be reduced, down from 41 percent in 2016
-23 percent of Americans want more immigration, up from 17 percent in 2016. Forty-one percent say they want immigration levels to stay the same
-Fewer Republicans want a reduction in immigration than did in 2016. In 2018, 52 percent of Republicans said they wanted less immigration, down from 62 percent two years earlier
It's almost like Americans' attitudes are shifting b/c they feel uncomfortable with the president's rhetoric. As in unclean or ashamed--we can't expect a portion of his depraved White Nationalist base to get it, but if you think most decent Americans weren't mortified by the separation policy and interning children, you're fooling yourselves. Most Americans like to look in the mirror without feeling soiled by what their country stands for. That will again bear out in next year's election.
This should raise red flags in republicans circles across the nation, given how few all-white crowds are found outside of Trump rallies. But their craven complicity, clinging to their own seats and power, Trumps any such consideration. They're all in and will simply have to build the party from the wreckage Trump leaves behind.
JeffLee
More MSM conflation over "immigrants" and "illegal aliens". Trump and most other conservatives are not anti-immigrant, especially since the president's wife and mother of his son is, yes, an immigrant.
The issue is about people sneaking over the border and remaining in the US illegally. Those people are not "immigrants." If you disagree, then next time you go to, say, Singapore, and instead of proceeding to the "immigration" desk to apply for admission to the country, jump over the barriers and run as fast as you can and hide out. No one in Singapore (or anywhere else) would ever call you an "immigrant." Because you're not.
Toasted Heretic
This argument is often put forward in response to accusations of Trump's insincere and racist remarks. It is, of course, incorrect. We've read his comments on Mexican rapists, Haitians have AIDS, Nigerian mud huts, shthole countries* and countless other remarks over the years, the tip of the iceberg in a well-documented history of bigotry.
The narrative that upholds such bigotry deserves calling out, especially in these troubled times. Racism is irrational, so don't expect someone who holds such disgusting views to be rational.
Blacklabel
Sample sizes for each year's survey vary from about 1,500 to about 3,000 adults
Blacklabel
“The survey — which does not distinguish between illegal and legal immigration”
“nearly three times as many Democrats as Republicans want more immigrants allowed into the country,”
key points to consider.
Bugle Boy of Company B
With more and more immigrants included in the poll, it’s no wonder! They all want tonbeing their brothers sisters cousins uncles nieces dogs and more!
America is a mess.
Toasted Heretic
This statement has no basis in reality.
IloveCoffee
Why do people think Hispanic is a Race? Hispanic means Spanish-speaker. Hispanic people are Spanish-speaking people. Spanish people are Caucasian. Latin Americans are European descendants, mostly from South Europe. I think something like 70% of Argentinians are of Italian descent. Only Peru have less than 50% of their population with non-European ancestry. So, in conclusion, Latin Americans ARE Caucasian, and as such, they are White people. Contrary to what Tucker Carlson and Ann Coulter says, Hispanics have the same ancestry as North Americans.
SuperLib
Well, Trump's made it more difficult for people to get legal asylum, which will reduce the number of legal immigrants. He's made it easier for applications to be denied with no chance of cure, which will reduce the number of legal immigrants. Trump wants to end the visa lottery program, which will reduce the number of legal immigrants. He wants to end chain migration, which will reduce the number of legal immigrants (but not for his wife's white family). He's lowered the caps on refugees to levels we haven't seen since 1980.
You're free to say he's not anti-immigrant, but he's lowered the number of possible legal immigrants intentionally. Those are his actions.
Bugle Boy of Company B
It is completely based in reality. Toasty. Do you believe that immigrants who managed to get to the states and enjoy life there (as it is generally better than their original home) actually do not want their relatives to join them??
Texas A&M Aggie
Liberals are pinning their hopes of a democrat retaking the White House next year based on a poll conducted by a university based deep the in the liberal stew of Chicago and the AP (All Progressive). Good luck with that.
Haaa Nemui
Yeah... nah.... It might be an election issue and may even be the only issue talked about in this article... but to suggest it is the sole issue...
On second thoughts... as a conservative you should keep doing that.
Chip Star
You prefer a poll by Trump University?
Strangerland
I'm sure the Navaho and the Guarani would agree fully.
Strangerland
Um what? That would depend on where the person came from.
I've got a better more prosperous life in Japan than in my home country - I'm not trying to move my relatives here.
Kaerimashita
Tear Down the Wall!!
Oh wait, we haven't built it yet.
Seems like an odd poll to me. Wonder what the exact question was. "Do you want more or less immigrants"??
pointofview
Yes. Quite generous as is, over a million per year. Illegal immi is the issue.
bass4funk
Now another large State sees it differently.
https://www.texastribune.org/2019/03/07/immigration-border-security-top-worries-texas-voters-uttt-poll/
kurisupisu
So, the Trump administration imposed a ban on immigration from several majority Muslim countries and the American people want that to stay the same?
Tokyo-Engr
The discussion should be broken down into immigration that is carried out legally through a legal process, proper application for the visa, etc. and then immigration which is not carried out legally.
I am rather liberal and if I was asked this question without further clarification I would answer that we need to change our system to ensure immigration is done through the proper legal process.
Mocheake
I like that picture! Look at the different skin tones. From white to brown to black. Nothing wrong with that!
Bugle Boy of Company B
Of course it does. I agree. But where do most immigrants (to the US) come from? Countries that kinda suck (in terms of standard of living, freedoms)
I have a great life here in Japan, too! And I don't tell my relatives to come. It's not a blanket statement, strangerland.
Strangerland
Your original question phrased it as such.
Chip Star
I wnt to know how many Native Americans were sampled in this poll.
Jimizo
”They all want to bring” is a very good example of a blanket statement.
bass4funk
I do as well.
proxy
Latest stats from February are a median hourly wage of $23.18/hour with wage growth running at 4.16% and an unemployment rate of 3.8%. The US needs more workers so no surprise to see support for immigration increase. No other large economy comes close to offering pay as high as the US to immigrants and their children. Annual household income in the US is about $20,000 more than Japan. Who would want to move to Japan?
Chip Star
Nobody is against legal immigration. Just like nobody is pro-abortion.
kurisupisu
Plenty of people are against legal immigration as well as being for abortion!
Tokyo-Engr
@Bass and Reckless - I also support legal immigration.
It seems you received a downvote from people who may not support immigration at all.
smithinjapan
This sure is going to make the white supremacists angry, as can be seen by some of the posts above.
bass4funk: "I do as well."
Yeah, right.
JeffLee
@Toasted
Yes, and he wasnt refering to "immigrants." He was referring to illegal aliens (rightly or wrongly). You and nearly all the other liberal, leftists just cannot stop conflating the two, can you?
@Superlib
Why reduce? The proposal was to have it replaced with a system that allows the US to be more selective like H1-B applicants, the vast majority of whom aren't white.
Hey, Japan doesnt use a lottery system, and indeed its govt and people would be loathe to see one. But that's OK, right?
Chip Star
I know you read the threads and post often at times, so you know exactly why those two received downvotes and it has zero to do with anyone not supporting immigration.
Chip Star
Show me one person that is pushing abortions as if they are a fun and exciting thing to do. Just one. Come close.
Serrano
I wnt to know how many Native Americans were sampled in this poll
Don't you want to know how many white Americans, black Americans, Latino Americans and Asian Americans were sampled, Chip?
Chip Star
No, because they're all immigrants.
bass4funk
Exactly!
Just like you....
There you have it. Liberals want the process to be selective. We are all immigrants, but if you’re born in Germany and have German citizenship, then you are German, if you’re born in Italy and I have Italian citizenship, the new were Italian, if you’re born in America and have American citizenship you are an American.
Toasted Heretic
@Jeff, I do wish you'd stop conflating liberals with leftists.
Anyway, regardless of where you or I stand on the political spectrum - we all saw what he said, it's there forever. I notice you don't have a problem with his other racist sayings.
Toasted Heretic
As long as they keep their anger contained and don't let it boil over into real life. Still, along with populism, platforms for the language of hate are a factor in the increase of right wing extremism.
bass4funk
Well, there is definitely a clear distinction and it’s very simple if you are not an American citizen or illegal Canadian citizen or Australian citizen or New Zealand citizen under these Appropriate constitutions, then you are entering the country illegally, it’s a simple as that. It’s like saying 3 million white Afrikaners or not South Africans I don’t have the right to be there, that is a weak argument.
Chip Star
What are you talking about? Tune into earth.
So you take issue with where I draw the line in history to define immigrants, correct?
bass4funk
No, I don’t take issue, nor do I care want any individual thinks because if you are illegal and try to get into the US illegally, you will be apprehended and sent back in the majority of cases. Now whether a person wants to define what is and what was his irrelevant, then if they want to destroy the constitution and the very foundation of the founding fathers good luck with that. All of the other far left liberal anti-American rants really don’t mean a thing. I have nothing to apologize for, nothing to feel guilty about and nothing to atone for, I did not create this nation, I just happened to be born in it and if you are South African and white or if you are Canadian or if you are Australian or if you’re a New Zealander, it’s the same thing.
Toasted Heretic
As does the above statement. It's an oxymoron.
Lost-in-Nagoya
What amazes me more is to read here Americans supporting illegal immigration only for the sake of political ideology. They are for illegal immigrants, amongst them rapers, killers entering USA only to show disapproval to Trump’s anti-illegals politics. Can’t believe that there are Americans like that. Disgusting.
SuperLib
If Trump supported legal immigration he wouldn’t be trying to reduce it on many fronts. Plus, he’s a racist so he’s not the best person to be making these decisions.
CaptDingleheimer
Immigration is great, the more cultural flavor the US has, the better. But immigration should be regulated, and done legally. And it should bring in people who want to at least somewhat assimilate , work, and contribute to society. Not to immediately begin protesting the American way of life while sitting around collecting welfare.
Serrano
No, because they're all immigrants.
Not the ones who were born in the U.S., Chip.
bass4funk
He does support legal immigration. Which part is it that Liberals don’t understand, the LEGAL part? He never uttered “IL” before the “legal” but a full on racist hardly. Fallbrook, CA. has a pretty sizable White supremacist community, these people are racist to the bone. Trump doesn’t fit in any capacity whatsoever with these people, the man wouldn’t even pass the racial purity test, they would never accept ANYONE that associates themselves with Jews, Catholics, Blacks, Asians or Latinos. It’s ludicrous and funny. Liberals try and try to make Trump sound like a racist and if he didn’t have Jewish kids or allowed that nutjob Omarosa live in the White House, you could speculate, but the man showed his hand, so now the liberals are desperately trying other ways to try and make the man look racist while everything else failed.
Serrano
This is interesting:
Chamber of Commerce, Democrats push the narrative that mass influxes of immigrants grow the economy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaKufTyNcMM
SuperLib
I listed a half-dozen ways in which Trump is intentionally reducing the number of LEGAL immigrants who are allowed to come to the US. What part of that do you not understand?
Wolfpack
I assume this survey was about legal and not illegal immigration. Although the Democrats have virtually endorsed the idea with their open borders positions when it comes to enforcement.
Toasted Heretic
Trump's racism is there for all to see. Doubters have been given links/citations/evidence countless times. Ignoring and trying to make excuses for his bigoted views won't make it go away.
Serrano
Trump's racism is there for all to see.
If you want to see it that bad, I guess you'll see it, lol.
Kirk DuBois
Wolfpack there is not one elected Democrat that has ever been quoted saying "Open Borders" Those on the right want a wall, which is a waste of time and money. Most illegal immigrants are here because their visa expired. People come in on ship from China, through Canada, and the illegals that come in from the south are mostly smuggled through our point of entry. Not to mention the tunnels that have been made under the existing fence. The right see it as a symbol to stay out, while we want to keep our identity as welcoming.
Kirk DuBois
In 2017 and 2018 we were under our target in every area around the world except for one, Europe. We also didn't just meet our mark, we surpassed it. 2017 our mark was 4,000 refugees, however we brought in 9,205. And in 2018 our mark was 2,000 but we brought in 5,173. Quite a coincidence that it was an area that is predominantly white.
Chip Star
They are anchor babies, Sorrena.
Serrano
Meanwhile immigration authorities are going to release another 1.8K illegal migrants into the U.S. because there's no room to hold them, the detention centers are full. What a mess, thanks to the Democrats and the RINOS.