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ISSUE GUIDES: Immigration

PUBLIC VIEW: RED FLAGS

The Red Flags section offers guidance on areas of public opinion research where findings may be misleading, unstable, or easily misinterpreted. Public Agenda uses several indicators to judge when survey results should be reported and used cautiously.

Red Flag Statements

Legal vs. Illegal Immigration Mixed Views on Legal Immigration

In surveys, the public consistently makes a sharp distinction between legal and illegal immigrants. In general, the public looks more favorably on immigrants perceived as "playing by the rules." Illegal immigrants are viewed with much less sympathy. Half of those surveyed by Public Agenda say giving the government the power to detain legal immigrants indefinitely in the war on terrorism "goes too far," but six in 10 say illegal immigrants who are detained "don't deserve such protections because they are here illegally." What's more, six in 10 also say illegal immigrants should be deported immediately after being caught, without recourse to the courts. The distinction is strong enough that caution should be taken in reporting survey questions that do not distinguish between legal and illegal immigration or those that combine these elements.

  • Views on the impact of immigration differs sharply depending on whether immigrants are legal or illegal.

The public is quite conflicted on the impact of immigration and many hold positive and negative attitudes about legal immigration simultaneously. Attitudes have certainly been shaken by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks - the number of Americans who say immigration should be curtailed has taken a 20-point jump since the attacks. Yet it isn't clear whether people really want fewer immigrants or better enforcement of the immigration laws. In a recent Public Agenda survey, eight in 10 believed immigrants have a greater appreciation for the Constitution than native-born Americans (and immigrants agree). But other surveys show the public says immigration lowers wages and weakens the national character. Emphasizing any one of these findings by itself could be misleading. (See also our special edition on terrorism).

  • A majority of Americans say immigration is a good thing for the U.S.
  • Americans are divided on whether immigrants become productive citizens or if they cost taxpayers too much by using government...
  • Four in 10 Americans say immigrants improve food, music and the arts in the U.S., but pluralities say...
  • Most people, including immigrants, say immigrants take jobs Americans don't want, but the public is divided...
  • Support for decreasing immigration has fluctuated but has generally been higher since 9/11

Public Agenda uses several indicators to judge when survey results should be reported and used cautiously:

  • Results change when survey questions are reworded slightly.
  • Results change when implications or trade-offs of a policy are pointed out.
  • Results may be misleading if reported in isolation or out of context.
  • Other research suggests that people have incomplete or inaccurate knowledge in this area.