Most Americans support a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants

(Image credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

published 4 June 2015

A new poll from the Pew Research Center found that 72 percent of Americans believe undocumented immigrants who meet certain requirements should be allowed to stay in the country legally. Twenty-seven percent of respondents, meanwhile, believe that undocumented immigrants shouldn't be allowed to stay in the U.S.

Of the 72 percent who supported a path to legal status, 42 percent of respondents said immigrants should be able apply for citizenship, while 26 percent said they should apply for permanent residency in America.

The poll results also showed a significant partisan divide among respondents' opinions on immigration. Sixty-three percent of Republican respondents agreed that immigrants are a "burden on the country" because the U.S. provides them with jobs, health care, and homes, while just 32 percent of Democrats said the same. Still, 56 percent of Republican respondents expressed support for undocumented immigrants gaining legal status.