American Immigration Attitudes By the Civic Health Institutions Project
Harvard Kennedy School-led research finds a 67-point gap between Republicans and Democrats on approval of President Trump's immigration actions.
A new survey of more than 30,000 Americans across all 50 states finds that partisan identity is the dominant force shaping immigration attitudes in the United States—generating divisions of 60 to 70 percentage points that dwarf differences based on race, education, gender, or geography. At the same time, the data reveals that Americans draw meaningful distinctions when confronted with specific enforcement scenarios, suggesting public opinion on immigration is more nuanced than the partisan headlines suggest.
Key takeaways
• Partisan polarization dominates immigration attitudes, with a 67-percentage-point gap between Republicans (78%) and Democrats (11%) on Trump's immigration approval, far exceeding divisions along any other demographic dimension.
• Personal stakes vary dramatically by race: 42% of Hispanic Americans worry about family or friend deportation compared to 20% of White Americans, reflecting differential proximity to enforcement consequences.
• Personal connections to undocumented immigrants differ sharply by race: 31% of Hispanic Americans personally know someone undocumented versus 15% of White Americans.
• Gender differences are systematic across enforcement questions, with men showing 14 percentage points higher Trump immigration approval than women.
• Birthright citizenship retains 59% national support with 79% Democrat and 39% Republican support, representing one of few immigration questions with substantial cross-partisan agreement.
• Education shows systematic patterns: those with some high school or less show 30% Trump immigration approval versus 43% among graduate degree holders, a 13-point educational gradient, with immigration approval rising with education level.
• ICE enforcement approval shows a 60-percentage-point partisan gap (69% Republican, 9% Democrat), paralleling divisions on Trump's overall immigration handling.
• Rural residents show 43% Trump immigration approval compared to 34% in urban areas, an 8-point geographic divide.
• Geographic patterns tend to mirror presidential voting patterns, with states that vote reliably Republican tending to be most supportive of aggressive immigration tactics and policies by the Trump administration.
• State variation on Trump immigration approval varies across states by as much as 22 percentage points (from a low of 28% in Hawaii to a high of 50% in Idaho).
