More than 6-in-10 (63 percent) Americans agree that immigrants currently living in the country illegally should be allowed to become citizens provided they meet certain requirements, according to a study by conducted by Public Religion Research Institute in partnership with The Brookings Institution.
Majorities of Democrats (71 percent), independents (64 percent) and Republicans (53 percent) support an earned path to citizenship, as do majorities of all religious groups, including Hispanic Catholics (74 percent), Hispanic Protestants (71 percent), black Protestants (70 percent), Jewish Americans (67 percent), Mormons (63 percent), white Catholics (62 percent), white mainline Protestants (61 percent) and white evangelical Protestants (56 percent)….
…The survey also finds that nearly half (45 percent) of Americans say the Republican Party’s position on immigration has hurt the GOP in recent elections. Approximately 4-in-10 Republicans (39 percent) and Americans who identify with the Tea Party (41 percent) also think the Republican Party’s position on immigration has hurt the party in recent elections, as do 57 percent of Democrats. About 4-in-10 (42 percent) Americans, including close to half (46 percent) of Republicans and a similar number of Tea Party members (44 percent), say it did not make a difference….
…The survey also finds that broad support for a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants exists amidst concerns about sweeping demographic changes in the country.
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