A third of President Donald Trump supporters say immigrants to the United States help strengthen the nation's society – a notable increase from 2016, according to a new survey.
In the Pew Research Center poll, 60% of all registered voters – supporters of both Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden – believe the growing number of newcomers are an asset to U.S. society; 37% say it threatens the nation’s customs and values.
According to the poll, in 2016, opinion was also divided: 50% said increasing numbers of newcomers were more of a threat to American customs and values, while 46% said they strengthened society.
But the latest survey found that 32% of Trump supporters say immigrants do more to strengthen society — compared with just 19% in 2016.
Also, the latest survey shows that 84% of Biden supporters agree that immigrants strengthen society, while 71% said the same thing in 2016.
The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 11,001 respondents is 1.5 percentage points, Pew Research reported.
The changing attitudes on immigration reflect a presidential campaign where immigration, a focus of 2016, has dropped off as a central issue, The Hill noted. In 2020, the ailing economy and the coronavirus pandemic have taken over.
"I think a lot of Americans during this past year have really seen how the immigrant community has stepped up during this crazy time of COVID, and have seen the hard work and sacrifices borne by the immigrant community, and are more appreciative," Daniel Garza, executive director of the LIBRE Initiative, a conservative Latino advocacy group in conservative mega-donor Charles Koch's network, told The Hill.
"The president has also softened and nuanced his message on immigrants a bit more and I think that's helping," he added.
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