A Decade of Fluctuating Views on the Immigrant Community’s Impact
In 2013, immigration policy was top of mind for many Americans due to President Obama’s push for immigration reform and the creation of the “Gang of Eight” senators who (unsuccessfully) strove to craft a bipartisan immigration reform bill. Since then, PRRI has collected survey data as the issue has gone in and out of the public eye. Currently, extremely low unemployment has caused business leaders to be more vocal about the need to increase the immigrant labor force. At the same time, more and more families and children are seeking asylum in the United States as they flee from violence and extreme poverty. In this context, it is helpful to understand how Americans’ attitudes about immigration and immigrants have— or have not — changed over time.
On the whole, PRRI survey data from 2013-2022 shows a modest uptick in Americans’ positive attitudes about the impact immigrants have on their communities. Overall, Americans’ attitudes about immigrants’ impact on the larger society are nearly unchanged during that same period, though there is movement in both positive and negative directions among specific religious groups.
Alexander, L. (2023, July). A Decade of Fluctuating Views on the Immigrant Community’s Impact. Public Religion Research Institute. https://www.prri.org/spotlight/a-decade-of-fluctuating-views-on-the-immi...