Voters approve most parts of the immigration proposal that would cut back legal immigration into the U.S. and favor workers' skills instead of family ties, according to a Politico/Morning Consult poll released Wednesday.
President Donald Trump announced his support last Wednesday for the bill, which was introduced by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and David Perdue, R-Ga.
In the poll:
- 62 percent said the ability to speak English should be a factor in who can legally immigrate to the U.S.
- 60 percent support a points system based on criteria including education, proficiency with English and prospective salary.
- 58 percent support limiting the number of refugees who are offered permanent residency.
- 48 percent support reducing by half the number of legal immigrants allowed into the U.S. in the next decade, with 39 percent opposing that cut.
- 45 percent support an end to the ability of U.S. citizens and permanent residents to get green cards for members of their extended family, with 39 percent who want that ability to remain.
Republicans appear to support the bill more than Democrats oppose it, according to Morning Consult co-founder Kyle Dropp. "Even the more controversial provisions in this legislation receive support from a plurality of voters … for example, 73 percent of Republican voters support reducing the number of legal immigrants, compared to 57 percent of Democrats who oppose that idea."
Most voters in the poll support legal immigration, with 66 percent of the voters saying that legal immigrants "strengthen our country because of their hard work and talents."
However, 20 percent of voters in the poll said that legal immigrants are a "burden" because they take U.S. citizens' jobs, healthcare, and housing.
More voters believe job skills should be emphasized in applicants for immigration — 39 percent — than believe that family ties should be the key to immigration, which appealed to 36 percent of the poll's voters.
The poll was conducted Aug. 3-6 among 1,992 registered voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points, according to Politico.
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