Poll: Most Americans Opposed To Deporting Dreamers — Even Trump Supporters

Well over half of voters across the country think that undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children should be allowed to remain in the country as part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program President Trump took the first step in outlawing on Tuesday.

A new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll found that 76 percent of all respondents stand in opposition to the president and feel that so-called Dreamers should be allowed to remain in this country.

Pollsters also found that of all those standing in agreement about Dreamers, 58 percent believe that those now standing in limbo should be allowed to become U.S. citizens once they have met certain defined requirements.

By comparison, only 15 percent of those polled indicated they feel Dreamers should be removed or deported from the U.S.

For most voters, the issue appears to be a non-partisan one, with 84 percent of Democrats, 74 percent of independents, and 69 percent of Republicans all agreeing DACA laws should remain on the books.

“Given the deeply polarizing nature of immigration issues, the broad support for allowing Dreamers to stay in the United States is notable,” said Morning Consult co-founder and Chief Research Officer Kyle Dropp. “Just 24 percent of Republicans, 12 percent of independents and 8 percent of Democrats say that Dreamers should be deported.”

When posed with the question of what might be the “best way to handle immigrants living in the U.S. illegally,” 70 percent of respondents agreed they should be allowed to stay, with 49 percent arguing there should also be a pathway to citizenship for them.

In addition, 68 percent of all respondents agreed Dreamers should be granted U.S. work permits.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the Trump administration’s position on the issue clear during an early morning announcement where he added the program will be phased out in six months if Congress does enact legislation making other measures the law of the land.

POLITICO pollsters found that position runs counter to even the thinking of some of Trump’s most ardent supporters.

Two of every three voters polled that self-identified as Trump backers admitted they think Dreamers should be allowed to stay in the U.S., compared to just 26 percent favoring their deportation.

The poll of 1,993 voters was conducted over a four-day period beginning Aug. 31.

[Featured Image by Chris Kleponis/Getty Images]