Americans hold complex views on what should happen to undocumented immigrants. As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to ramp up mass deportations, about three-quarters of U.S. adults say they are at least somewhat concerned about the number of immigrants entering the country illegally, and a majority support enforcing mass deportation.
Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand Americans’ views on immigration and immigration policy prior to the 2024 presidential election.
This analysis is based on a survey of 9,201 adults conducted from Aug. 5 to 11, 2024. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), a group of people recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses who have agreed to take surveys regularly. This kind of recruitment gives nearly all U.S. adults a chance of selection. Surveys were conducted either online or by telephone with a live interviewer. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other factors. Read more about the ATP’s methodology.
Harris supporters are respondents who said they would vote for Kamala Harris, the Democrat, if the 2024 presidential election were held today, or those who said they would not vote for any of the candidates but lean toward Harris.
Trump supporters are respondents who said they would vote for Donald Trump, the Republican, if the 2024 presidential election were held today, or those who said they would not vote for any of the candidates but lean toward Trump.
Here are the questions used for this analysis, the topline and the survey methodology.
At the same time, most (64%) also say undocumented immigrants should have a way to stay in the country legally if certain requirements are met, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in August.
Many Americans support both deportation and having a path to legal status. Among those who support mass deportations, 43% also say undocumented immigrants should have a way to stay in the country legally.
Some Americans are more likely than others to say undocumented immigrants should have a path to stay in the U.S. legally.
- Clear majorities of Hispanic, Black and Asian adults say undocumented immigrants should have a way to stay in the country. White adults are more evenly divided, though a majority also say this.
- Younger adults, especially 18- to 29-year-olds, are more likely than older Americans to say undocumented immigrants should have a way to stay.
- People who said before the election that they supported Kamala Harris were far more likely than Trump supporters to say undocumented immigrants should have a way to stay.
Support for allowing undocumented immigrants to stay has declined in recent years
Though most Americans continue to say undocumented immigrants should have a way to stay in the U.S. legally, the share who say this has declined from 75% in 2020 to 64% today. Meanwhile, the share who say undocumented immigrants should not be allowed to stay has increased from 24% to 35%.
Related: Immigration attitudes and the 2024 election
Requirements for undocumented immigrants to stay in U.S.
Americans who say undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay under certain conditions express mixed support for several conditions we asked about. Security background checks are by far the most popular requirement, while other requirements receive less support.
- 79% say undocumented immigrants should be required to pass a security background check. Another 16% say it should be considered but not required.
- 52% say undocumented immigrants should be required to have a job, and 39% say it should be considered.
- Views are more divided on paying a fine: 25% say it should be required, 37% say it should be considered and 35% say it should not be considered.
Among those who say undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay in the U.S. if they meet certain requirements, 60% say those immigrants should be eligible to apply for citizenship. Another 39% say they should be eligible to apply for permanent residence but not citizenship.
Reasons undocumented immigrants should not be allowed to stay in the U.S.
Most U.S. adults who say undocumented immigrants should not be allowed to stay in the country cite reasons related to breaking the law, fairness and limited resources.
- 86% say a major reason is because people should not be rewarded for breaking the law.
- 81% say a major reason is because it’s unfair to immigrants who entered the country legally.
- 76% say a major reason is because undocumented immigrants take away resources from American citizens.
How many unauthorized immigrants are there in the U.S.?
The unauthorized immigrant population in the U.S. grew from 10.2 million in 2019 to 11 million in 2022, the first sustained increase in more than a decade.
This population consists of more than 3 million immigrants who have temporary protection from deportation and permission to be in the country, and includes those with temporary authorization to work in the U.S. legally. Some of these immigrants could be subject to deportation if government policy changes. For example, undocumented immigrants with Temporary Protected Status could be deported under plans announced by the Trump administration.
Federal immigration data shows that the number of immigrants with temporary protection from deportation has grown significantly since mid-2022, the date of our most recent estimates.
Related: What has happened with unauthorized migration since July 2022?
Note: Here are the questions used for this analysis, the topline and the survey methodology.
